The available evidences suggest that drugs are used for beneficial therapeutic purposes, effective substance for good health, but they are also being abused by people especially youths. They use it illegally and unlawfully, thus it becomes harmful to the body.
The problem of drug abuse has become a global issue of concern by any responsible governments, both in developed and under developing countries. Nigeria as a country has witnessed rising epidemic issues of substance abuse as a result of poor economic condition which rose to increasing youth unemployment, political crisis, ethno-religious conflict, poor policies of government to implement the real youth empowerment program living the youth in abject poverty, youth become a social problem and a tool for politicians to manipulate political process.
Some analysts have indicated that many energetic youth abuse drugs either orally or through injections which pushed them to engage in various social crime in the society.
The impact of drug abuse among Nigerian youths has been considered a moral decadent. Drug abuse have had a negative impact as well as brought shame to our society. The Nigerian youths are deliberately using drugs illegally, unlawfully and intentionally.
In our society, people are known to have had problems that had made them to adopt various measures to cope with such problems and live successfully within the confines of societal normative values. While some people take solace in lawful ways others resort to unlawful and unhealthy measures such as the use of drugs or psychoactive substances to the extent of abusing of drugs, hence resulting in addiction. The adolescent in our society are not left out in this, as they are either influenced by peer group while others do so because of the easy availability of the abused substances, others also watch on television and films and some read in books and so try to experiment to experience the effects. The effects of specific psychoactive substance vary depending on their mechanism of action, the amount consumed and the history of the user among other factors.
Drugs commonly abused by adolescents are; Amphetamines, Anabolic steroids, alcohol, Marijuana (Cannabis or Indian hemp), cocaine, heroin, caffeine, barbiturates, amphetamines, narcotic, inhalants, codeine and cough syrup; which have excitatory or inhibitory effect which are thought to enhance performance in sport by delaying the onset of fatigue or hasten recovery rate.
Alcohol and cigarettes are termed as gateway drugs because they are the ones that welcome the adolescents into drug abuse. These drugs are mostly abused because they are readily available. Most young people begin their use of drugs with alcohol and cigarettes and later progress to more dangerous substances such as cannabis and cocaine.
Several psychosocial factors have been associated with drug abuse. Particularly, peer pressure, social environment, broken home, media portrayal of drug -use by celebrities. Peer substance use is one of the major and well-established predictors of adolescent drug use. The influence of the peer group is exerted via modeling and social reinforcement of nonconforming behavior.
Drug abuse is one of the causes of family problem. A lot of families are having problem because of drug abuse. A man who is a drug addict and who drinks to stupor can beat his wife and children to death especially when the children are still tender. Such man cannot take care of his family.
The society isat risk because of this menace called drug abuse. Many of the drug addicts are dying of blood transmitted diseases like AIDS because most of them indulge in the exchange of unsterilized injection equipment for injecting of drugs into their bodies. With this, the society is at risk because AIDS can spread in the society through them. They can contact AIDS through coitus because these drugs increase the urge for sex most times without a condom.
Drug abuse causes violence in the society. When one is engaged in drug abuse, he can carry out any evil act. In the higher institutions, most crisis are caused by drug addicts. If they are only cultists, they can hold themselves and have human sympathy in time of crisis but because of the drug, they cannot restrain themselves. This can lead to violence and consequent maiming of lives, loss of lives and property.
Drug abuse has disgraced and degraded our youths to the lowest ebb. It is quite obvious that most of the Nigerian youths that are insane today were drug addicts. In Nigeria, the number of youths that are insane are more than that of old people. Not only that they are mad because of drug abuse but they are dying of it. Many of our youths are school dropouts because they have gone mad due to the drugs they have taken. A society that is losing her youths has no future and is in trouble.
Most people do not understand the effects of drug abuse especially on the youths. It is very necessary that drug abuse should be prevented or controlled. Drug abuse is a growing problem and drug abuse prevention should also be a growing measure and stronger in order to over-power the cankerworm. The prevention of drug abuse should start first from the family.
The family, church, community, school, Nigerian government have role to play in controlling drug abuse in Nigeria. Government should provide policies that would address the wider availability of drugs in the society. Government should provide amble job opportunities for youth to become self-reliant. Government should provide rehabilitation centers for drug abusers that are mentally affected.
Parent and the larger society should take extra measures to keep monitoring their children’s and wards. Educational curriculum need to cover moral training for students to become highly discipline and become important members of the society.
Finally, the researcher is advocating that all hands should be on deck to make sure that drug abuse is eradicated or curbed in our country Nigeria so that our youths should be useful to themselves, their individual families and our country Nigeria as a whole.
– Muhammed Hawa
Department of Mass Communication,
Prince Abubakar Audu University Anyigba, Kogi State.
