Jurnal Ilmu Sosiologi Dialektika Kontemporer Vol. 8, No.

1, January -June
2021
p-ISSN: 2303-2324

Jurnal Ilmu Sosiologi Dialektika Kontemporer

Vol. 8, No. 1, January -June 2021
p-ISSN: 2303-2324

Nigeria Drug Abuse and the Nigerian Youth

Enamhe, Dorn Cklaimz1, Maxwell-Borjor Achuk Eba2
1
Department of Social Work, University of Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.
2
History and International Studies, University of Calabar, Cross River State,
Nigeria.
Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

The incidence of drug abuse has become a problem that affects every country across the globe. The
intake of substances affects both the physical and mental health of the users and the general public.
Many people suffer from various health impairments such as hepatitis, heart attacks, respiratory
infections, cancer, and neurological problems that lead to incapacitation and even death. The same
thing applies to mental health issues like schizophrenia, anxiety, neuroses, psychoses, depression,
and other mental illnesses. These problems have occurred due to the frequent intake of illicit drugs
such as opioids and prescription over-the-counter drugs. The available literature reviewed shows
the prevalence of drug abuse in the global sphere and Nigeria in particular. The study also shows
how the problems become out of control as a result of either corruption among the security agents,
drug trafficking and smuggling, or the amount of money involved in the business, which makes the
drug barons devise many ways of accessing the drugs whenever the law enforcement agencies try to
stop them. The present study investigates the effects of substance abuse on the health of users in
Nigeria; the health consequences; the recent trend of substance abuse among youth; and the
measures taken by the government to stop the menace. Both primary and secondary sources of data
were utilised to collect data through textbooks, journals, internet sources, government and non-
governmental agencies' reports, newspapers, and periodicals..

Keywords : Drugs, Nigeria, Youth, Abuse among Youth, Effects of Drug Abuse.

INTRODUCTION: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE OF DRUG USE AND

ABUSE AMONG YOUTH
According to Freeman et al. (2017), over 1.53 million inmates were
imprisoned in US prisons for drug-related offenses, with a significant number of
them being male, and approximately half of them being sentenced for drug-related
offenses. Most of the prisoners "tend to have unmet physical and mental health
needs, strained or unstable personal relationships, and substance use problems."
These outlined issues are intricate and interwoven and have adverse health effects.
Some of these adverse health effects were instant; "some appear after continuous
use, and some occur after overdose." Intakes of an illegal substance, such as Indian
hemp, make the users vulnerable and predispose them to the risk of severe health
problems such as "cardiovascular and lung conditions, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and
hepatitis". Abusing illicit drugs also predisposes the users to mental health problems
such as neurosis and psychosis. It further reveals that out of the 1977 incarcerated
prisoners interviewed, 625 were mainly marijuana smokers, equivalent to 31.6 per
cent, 387 were alcoholic drink abusers, equivalent to 19.6 per cent, 373 were other

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substance abusers, equivalent to 18.9 per cent, and 592 were nonusers, which were
also equivalent to 29.9 per cent, respectively. Hence, the consequences of substance
use among these incarcerated people show that 74 percent are suffering from mental
health problems and appear to be drug addicts, while 56 percent report drug abuse
conditions but show no sign of mental illness.
According to a related study report from the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administrations (SAMHSA) in 2012, approximately 24 million
Americans aged 12 and up are addicted to drugs or alcohol. This figure is the same
as 9.2 percent of this age group. The report outlined drugs such as cannabis, crack,
cocaine, heroin, and over-the-counter analgesics (pain killers) as mostly abused
drugs. The level of drug abuse among this age category is increasing yearly, from
approximately 6 percent in 2007 to 7 percent in 2012 (Milroy & Parai, 2011).
Similarly, the number of people abusing substances increased from approximately
15 to 19 million users during this time period (SAMHSA, 2013).
Brick (2004) outlined some of the medical effects of alcohol abuse. It is not
only the physiological consequences that are worrisome, but also the number of
financial commitments it takes to treat the diseases caused by the abuse of alcoholic
drinks. Alcohol damages the heart and increases blood pressure, which "increases
the threat of heart attack and stroke. Rampant intake of alcohol can harm many
tissues, produce diverse physiological changes and impair and interfere with the
hormonal and biochemical regulation of a variety of cellular and metabolic
functions. People who excessively use alcohol are liable to suffer from various types
of cancer and accidental injuries. Transit and other commercial drivers do engage
in accidents daily as a result of the influence of alcohol, which appears to be the
intoxication of alcohol. Brick concludes by recommending more multidisciplinary
research into the conditions and situations in which alcoholic beverages cause
medical consequences in the human body. NIAA (National Institute on Alcohol
Abuse and Alcoholism) of the USA, (2000), mentioned that almost 180,000 to
200,000 accidents and personal injuries occur every year, and they are caused by
alcohol abuse. Consumption of alcohol causes various health problems such as
cancer, liver cirrhosis, cardiovascular diseases, and hepatitis A, B, and C (Dawson
et al., 2015).
McCambridge & Strang (2004) found that the intake of hard drugs,
specifically heroin, by youth aged 14 to 16 years of age ranged from 14 to 16 years
of age. The instillation of such a habit has negative effects on the youth, both
medically and socially, and this is not unrelated to the majority of academic
challenges, such as truancy and school abandonment. They are also liable to the
crime commission for joining bad friends and creating a nuisance to their families,
as well as the propensity of being involved in an accident causing injury and, in
some instances, death. Leggett, Louw and Parry (2002) reported that 66 per cent of
the detainees below 20 years of age were found positive for substance abuse when
laboratory tests were conducted on them, and that those male students were the
dominant group of the students detained.

DRUG USE AND ABUSE AMONG YOUTH IN NIGERIA

Mamman, et al. (2014), viewed drug abuse as a protracted problem that
posed a serious threat on social, economic and health conditions of the individual,
family’s commonalities, the nations and the entire global world. The authors
claimed that the persistence abuse of drug led to the increasing crime and

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delinquency, insurgency and terrorism, the spread of deadly diseases and illnesses
such as an increase in the spread of hepatitis B and C virus increase in the spread of
HIV /AIDS. It further revealed that the early use of cigarettes and tobacco among
adolescents and youth in Nigerian schools and the public. This drug abuse habit
predisposes the youth to a disease that may lead to early death such as
Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD), lung cancer, tuberculosis and psychosomatic
disorders. It blamed the Nigerian government for allowing tobacco companies to
influence Nigerian youth through promotions and advertorials. On the prevalence
of the menace of drug abuse in Nigeria.
North-west of Nigeria recorded the highest number (37.5 per cent) of
abusers. Southwest 17.3 per cent, the South-East 13.5 per cent, North-central 11.7
per cent, and the North-east zone has 8.5 per cent of the drug abusers in the country
(Fotso et al., 2011). Must abuse substance among the population found in both rural
and urban areas are cannabis 10.8 per cent, psychotropic drugs such as
benzodiazepines and amphetamine-type stimulants 10.6 per cent, followed by
heroin with 1.6 per cent, and cocaine 1.4 per cent respectively. Males’ populations
are higher 94.2 per cent among the substance users than females, and females are
5.8 per cent (Alemika, 2006).
A survey conducted by NDLEA (2018) on the problem of drugs and
substance abuse in Northern Nigeria ranked Kano and Jigawa as the States with the
highest number of youths who engaged in drug abuse. Over 3 million bottles of
codeine syrup were consumed daily in these States. NDLEA further stressed that it
had arrested and detained over 2,205 persons in 2015 on the crime related to drugs
and substance abuse in the North. Some of the widely abused drugs are cough syrup,
cigarettes, inhalants, cannabis and alcohol (Nelson, 2018). It was a known
phenomenon that in those days the commonest illicit and drugs widely taken were
marijuana, heroin, and cocaine (Nelson, 2018). However, things have changed;
youth have gone to the extent of abusing new substance “that would cause similar
or even more sensational effects as conventional narcotics. The study reported by
the NDLEA covers not only Jigawa State alone but the Neighboring Kano State, so
it is not conducted in the North-east zone of Jigawa State alone.
According to Ibrahim et al (2017), the highest influential factor leading to
substance misuse among youth is peer group influence who are males. It reveals
that 70 per cent of the substance users engaged in the menace as a result of peer
group influence and it is due to improper care 28 per cent by their parents led them
to abuse drug. Therefore, the culture and religion of the people of the area as factors
that stop females from mixing freely with their males’ counterpart. Apart from peer
group drug seller were also blamed that they were encouraging the youth into drug
use. The strategies for control measures of the substance abuse menace such as
primary, secondary and tertiary controls. The primary control; people should stop
using the drug without a proper medical test or prescription by a qualified physician
or health worker. A parent should also keep an eye to the people whom their children
are mingling with to observe if there is any change in attitude or behaviour of their
children. Secondary Controls: In this case, if a person is discovered taking drugs
should immediately be consulted and make him desist from it before his/her
condition become out of control. This can be done through sensitization and
counselling on the adverse effect of drug abuse. “Tertiary Controls: measures are
taken up to rehabilitate the full pledge addict, these could be achieved in the

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rehabilitation centres or at homes under the strict medical supervision” (Borhan et

al., 2018, p. 75).
Tong et al., (2012) argued that drugs that were used as a pain reliever to a
patient who was physically sick did not lead to drug addiction. It is observed that
addiction is mostly among people with a history of drug use, a painkilling tablet
such as Tramadol does not make people addicted while taking to relieve pains, but
prolonged usage may lead to addiction. The study outlined how individual become
addicted due to self-medication or prolonged use of the prescription drug. However,
the present study is concern about the use of drugs not for painkilling but rather as
energy-boosting substance that would enhance and encourage person to do more
work.
Nouh et al., (2007) observed that alcohol, cannabis and prescription drugs
were common practices in drug abuse. The major reasons for their drug intake were
reported as pleasure, curiosity, and relaxation. The reasons for the prevalence of
drug use are lack of enforcement by the government, illegal drug vendors and
untrained health personnel (Onwubiko et al. 2015; Ering et al., 2016; Osonwa &
Duke, 2018). The finding also reveals the rampant abuse of alcohol, Tramadol,
marijuana and injectable drugs as the drugs mostly abused in the area. Locally made
alcoholic drink is the predominant substance and is reported as being part of the
culture of the area. It is concluded by observing the role of globalization to the
prevalence of narcotics drugs such as Tramadol which is a foreign product in the
study area, government neglect of the communities in term of provision of basic
amenities, and less law enforcement agencies in the area. The finding is closely
related to the present study as the author conducted the study among rural dwellers
of some Northern Nigeria but the cultural difference is observed in term of alcohol
usage. While the author revealed the prevalence of alcohol usage, the culture of the
area under study consider alcoholic drinks a taboo.
Onyencho et al. (2020) found that the rampant abuse of tramadol, marijuana
and cigarette as the most widely abused drugs. It shows that tramadol users
constituted the highest number 56.2 per cent, marijuana smokers were 46.3 per cent
and cigarette smokers were 37.9 per cent. It was noticed that 80.4 per cent of the
respondents were male and 19.6 per cent were female. Both of them were of youth
age category as their mean age was 28.6 years. The finding rated tramadol as the
most dangerous drugs because of the difficulties involved in rehabilitating the
addicted persons, there is a problem associated with a withdrawal syndrome. It was
recommended that government should strengthen the concern agencies to control
drug addiction and supply (Onyencho et al., 2020).
A study was conducted by Shehu and Rao P.D. (2020) in two rehabilitation
centres of South-west states of Nigeria, access the effects of drug abuse on mental
disorder among prison inmates and psychiatric hospital. 70 respondents were
purposefully selected 50 among psychiatric patients and 20 among the prison
inmates and were interviewed and the finding was analyzed using descriptive
survey. The finding revealed that most of the patients are male, married, and youth,
they are of low-income level and are less educated. The drugs mostly abuse is under
the counter drugs. Tramadol, Diazepam, marijuana and codeine type syrup.
Anxiety, depression, neurosis and schizophrenia are the mental disorders the
patients suffer with. Heart attack, respiratory tract infections, and neurological
disease are the major health impairment the patients are suffering with. The study
revealed the nature of mental disorders in Jigawa State, Nigeria and drug abuse as

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the major course of such health problems. Based on these reasons stated the present
study is conducted to bridge this gap.

LICIT AND ILLICIT DRUG USE TRENDS

Manufacturing of Narcotics Drugs created serious health and social
problems in Nigeria. Imported products like tobacco/cigarettes, brewery products
and counterfeit drugs created many health-related problems in communities
(Blackstone, et al., 2014). Majid, (2000) stated that “the cigarette is the most widely
distributed global consumer product on earth, the most profitable, and the
deadliest.” And “nicotine is more addictive than either alcohol or cocaine” (p. 13).
It is believed that tobacco consumption is among the most serious health catastrophe
that threatens the lives of both smokers and even nonsmoking individuals. Cigarette
consumption is increasing predominantly among youth despite public awareness
and enlightenment on the danger associated with its consumptions by the concern
authorities According WHO (2019) tobacco is reported to have “killed more than 8
million people a year. More than 7 million of those deaths are the result of direct
tobacco use while around 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed
to second-hand smoke” (Müllerová, 2021, p. 193). WHO further stated that
approximately 80 per cent of the tobacco smokers globally reside “in low- and
middle- income countries.” Despite the health hazards associated with cigarette
smoking African governments are lackadaisical about it. In Nigeria, the journey to
discourage tobacco smoking started since 2004 when the country becomes part of
the signatories of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
The Senate of the federal republic passed a bill prohibition tobacco smoking in
offices and other public places in March 2011. If assent into law would “regulate
and control production, manufacture, sale, advertising, promotion and sponsorship
of tobacco or tobacco products” (Agaku, et al. 2012; Sunday et al., 2014; Ekuri et
al., 2016). Similarly, the government has made it mandatory to the tobacco
companies to write boldly on the packages health warnings such as “The Federal
Ministry of Health warns that Tobacco Smoking is Dangerous to Health. Since 2013
“Smokers are liable to die young” (Agaku, et al.2012).
Another dangerous drug is alcohol which is categorized as a depressant. It
is sometimes culturally allowed among Kofyar tribe of North-central Nigeria, the
tribes of South-south and Igbo tribe of Southeast of Nigeria. It is strictly prohibited
in Northern Nigeria among Hausa-Fulani Muslim communities of the country as
they believed. Alcohol is an illegal drug as far the Sharia Islamic Law (Aghedo et
al., 2017). Valium or diazepam tablet (Benzodiazepine) is prohibited for a non-
medical purpose (Compton and Volkow, 2006). Codeine-based Cough syrups have
extensively been used by the youth especially in the Northern part of the country.
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Radio Africa Hausa service. Hence
reported the government of Nigeria banned both the importation and production of
codeine syrups (Aghedo et al., 2017).
Tramadol is another most widely abused prescription drugs globally. This
drug was approved in 1995 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “as a non-
controlled, non- traditional, centrally acting analgesic under the trade name
ULTRAM® (50 mg tramadol) for marketing in the United States” (Dasgupta, 2013,
p. 543). Today tramadol and related narcotics drug like codeine has become a
problem globally, as it constitutes among the highest narcotics that contributes to

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the deteriorating health condition of most of the Nigerian youth (Oraegbune, Adole,
and Adeyemo, 2017).
Codeine is another widely used over-the-counter drug. Frequent use may
lead to many health problems. The rampant misuse of the drug in form of cough
syrup necessitated the Nigerian government to ban the import of this product as well
as manufacturing these drugs.

THE ROLE OF TRADITIONAL HEALTH HEALERS IN THE

TREATMENT OF DRUG ADDICTS IN NIGERIA
Before the advent of the British colonialist, there already exits traditional
medicine practitioners who were consulted to cure various type of illnesses in the
country (Winkelman, 2001). Even though Nigeria health system has adopted the
orthodox medical care in the country health system, but still traditional healers are
widely consulted for treatment of diseases that are not curable by modern medicine
in both rural and urban areas of Africa (Gureje et al, 2015). 80 per cent of the
inhabitants of Zimbabwe resort to traditional medicine when the treatment using
modern orthodox medicine was unable to cure the illness patients turned to
traditional healers because such illness can only be cured by a traditional healer
(Kajawu, et al, 2016), the similar was made under the study. This shows that the
activities of the traditional healers are very much acceptable in many cultures in the
country because of the values attached to traditional medicine (Shehu and Rao, P.D.
2020). Traditional medicine is the amount of knowledge, skills and practices based
on the theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether
explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health; as well as in the prevention,
diagnosis, improvement or not, used in the maintenance of health; as well as in the
prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illnesses
(Gureje et al, 2015).
In Nigeria like in most African countries, the traditional healers are well
incorporated into traditional institutions and communities because of the
importance attached to them. They are to decide and in the case of outbreak of
epidemic disease that is unknown to the community, they are the one to be contacted
in drug-related cases and the case of mental illness. Traditional healers were
assumed to having a supernatural power for curing all kind of sickness especially
in rural communities where people are still not comfortable with hospitals
especially among the less educated (Rao, P.D. and Singh, 2018). “The term
traditional healing refers to non-orthodox therapeutic practices based on indigenous
cultural traditions and operating outside official health care systems” (Zhao & Qian,
2020, p. 43). People prepare traditional medicine especially in the treatment of
psychosomatic illnesses because of the believed attached to it been caused by the
evil spirit and can only be cured through supernatural means and only traditional
healers possessed that supernatural power to cure that ailment Drug dependence is
perceived as an ailment of spirit; therefore, those seeking for the therapy have to
consult spiritual and faith-based traditional healers for rehabilitation. Therefore,
diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric and druginduced psychoses vary
according to the culture of the given community. At these traditional healing
centres, inmates were given various treatments “which help to” cure the different
kind of illness based on the conditions and “needs each patient”. The traditional

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healers determine the category of ailment and decide how it can be treated (Shehu
and Rao, P. D. 2020).
In Nigeria and most of the low and middle-income countries of the world,
over 80 per cent of the inhabitants rely on the traditional healers for the solution and
cure of their diseases and illnesses. The traditional healers “offer a parallel system
of belief to conventional medicine regarding the origins, and hence the appropriated
treatment of mental health problems” (Okpaku, 2014, p. 136). Most of these
traditional healers are religiously inclined; they used their religious ways to cure
their inmates. It would be a way forward to treat mental health and drug addiction
related illnesses using religious beliefs and practices. Therefore, the rationale
behind incorporating the patient’s religious or spiritual belief at the domain of
treatment is no longer an issue of argument (Koening, King, and Carson, 2012).
Despite the eminent importance of the traditional healing centres in Nigeria,
the indigenous health care practice has been accused by the civil and human rights
organizations for the violation of human rights during the treatment process by the
local traditional healers. The Human Rights Watch (2019) reported inhuman and
degrading treatments in most of these centres including governmentowned
rehabilitation centres and neuropsychiatric hospitals, religious and faith centre both
Muslim and Christian healing centres inmates were found chained on their legs and
some are suffering from malnutrition. According to Emina Cerimovic, a senior
disability rights researcher at Human Rights Watch 2019 “people with mental health
conditions should be supported and provided with effective services in their
communities, not chained and abused,” he further stated, “People with mental health
conditions find themselves in chains in various places in Nigeria subject to years of
unimaginable hardship and abuse” (Brown et al., 2019, p. 967).

REASONS FOR ABUSE DRUGS IN NIGERIA

Due to the rampant cases of drug abuse especially among Nigerian youth
one may ask the reason why people engage in it. In an actual sense, there is no single
factor to justify the reason why and the major causes of the menace. Below are some
of the reasons why people engage in drug abuse as outlined by various scholars?
According to Dukku (2012), “the factors include poverty,
unemployment/joblessness/idleness, broken homes/inadequate parental
supervision, enticement, curiosity, the influence of peer group, the influence of
politicians, availability and easy access”, etc.

Peer Group Influence

A lot of studies have indicated that peer group influences have pushed many
youths to engage in antisocial behaviour like drug abuse. The youth intermingle
with to some extent have a greater influence on their actions, this is because of the
time taken to interact with them be it at home community, at school premises at a
playground and so forth living with bad peers who engaged in drug addict make
other to emulate from their actions this occurs especially when parents were unable
to exercise their traditional obligations on their children (Udama, 2013). Dankani
(2012) found that more than half (57 per cent) respondents learned illicit drug intake
through intermingling with their friend in the Northwestern states of Nigeria. The
study reveals that Jigawa State appears to have rampant misuse of codeine type
expectorants.

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A study was conducted by Simons- Morton and Tilda in 2010 on the

influence of peer group and smoking habit by other substance use. The finding
reveals the considerable similarity regarding the prevalence of smoking and drug
abuse among teenagers. In a nutshell, there is every likelihood that youngsters with
peers who smoke may also engage in the smoking habit at a later life and also
adolescents who happened to live in a mix of a friend who does not smoke there
every propensity that they are to become non-smokers over time and vice vasa.
Intimate personal friends seem to influence one another to smoke and take other
substance.
Al-haqwi (2010) noticed that a significant number (62 per cent) of the
respondents engaged themselves in drug abuse as a result of friend influence.
Another study carried out in the United States of America indicates that popular
students had greater propensity to smoke when compared to the less popular
contemporaries (Alexander 2016). Additionally, the final year students of
secondary education are most likely to drink alcohol for them to widen the number
of friends and to show the level of their maturity.

Broken Home
The issue of a broken home is one of the factors that cause drug and
substance abuse in Nigeria. Some children suffer from prolonged absence of
parental affection as a result of divorce and other related matrimonial problems,
harsh repression, “parental use of drugs” and prolong quarrel between parents.
Another issue is the decrease in financial gain due to unemployment which may
certainly lead to the tendency to abuse drugs. According to Muthigani (1995),
children are influenced by their parents to take drugs. It is quite clear that family is
the first agent of socialization of the child. Therefore, children learn and exhibit
their early learning from their parents and elder siblings or elder family members.
Muthigani added that in case the adolescent’s witnesses a disjuncture between what
the parent teaches them and the real happening at home, it would lead to the
doubtfulness in the mind of the child and this situation may lead to antisocial
behaviour.
In a study conducted by Aubel (2012) in Nigeria emphasis on the role and
influence of the family on the character of its children, he further stressed that if a
male child happened to come from the broken home, he most likely to engage in
substance abuse. In Nigeria must of the marijuana abusers are youth, some are
students who suffer from relative deprivation from their family, they lark
affectionate love from their parents, they were not properly monitored at home at a
tender age. In a similar study conducted by Kikuvi (2009) reveals that children of
the drug addicts have high propensity having family issues than the child whose
parent does not abuse drugs. The child of this parent lacks parental affection and
may lead to unseriousness and less allegiance in day to day activities in the society
and may lead to drug abuse in a later stage. Children of working mothers also lack
proper care as they were left under the supervision and care of the nanny or house
girls as both the father and the mother left for office work.

Heredity

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Genetic factors influence drug abuse in Nigeria, just like the environmental
factor where people learn criminal behaviour through association, so also other
inherit it genetically from their parents at birth through chromosomes. Drug
addiction like any other deviant and criminal behaviours are inborn among them.
According to Stillerman (2015) youth who engage themselves in drug abuse habit
may likely inherit it from one of their parents. Stillerman (2015), reveal the
relationship between genetic predispositions to the occurrences of substance abuse-
related diseases among youth. The individuals with a heritable tendency are prone
to substance abuse. However, it is not all family members will inherit the gene of
drug dependency.
A study was conducted in Nairobi, Kenya by Richter et al, (2019) among
student of high school and their responses indicate the heredity factor about drug
abuse means most of them inherited the drug-taking habit right from their parents’
home. Most of the respondents (65 per cent) show that their parents’ uncles or
brother smokes take drugs. They were in one way or the other been asked to buy
drugs for their uncles, fathers, mothers, elder brother and sister and other family
members.

Environment
The environmental factor is another triggering issue that predisposes people
to drug abuse, if a person is living in a drug use free environment such as ghettos or
slums which predominantly dominated by poor housing, poor environmental
hygiene, in such places drug business is freely been carried out as a business and
means of survival, there likelihood for someone living in that community to
inculcate the habit of drug addiction (Osonwa & Arikpo, 2018). The use of drugs
among parent or family member openly within the family surrounding will
influence greater per cent of the family member especially the siblings within the
family to inculcate the habit. Barnard and Mckeganey (2004) conducted a study in
the UK among people of Scottland revealed that the majority of the drug users are
found to have one or two of their family members that abused drugs previously. A
comparison was made of roughly 10 per cent of non-drug users but having
somebody within the family member that abused substance. In most cases, the
substance-abusing family member was found to be either a son or cousin.

Socioeconomic Status of the Parents

Socio-economic status of the parents is another triggering factor that can
influence drug addiction among the children especially the low-income families. As
most of the parents cannot afford the basic requirements for their livelihood, find
themselves in slums and ghettos mostly at the downtowns which appear to be crime-
prone areas. Drugs, addiction and other illegal businesses are the order of the day
in these places. These socio- economic factors at a time differ from one country to
another, for instance, the children of the low-income family are found must likely
at greater risk of drug abuse in the middle and low-income countries. However, in
the high-income countries like England, a study conducted among the marijuana
users discovered that the economically deprived children in other word children
who come from low-income family are of less risk of cannabis smoking than those
children who come from less economically deprived. This is because those children

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whose parent who are economically good their children can afford to buy marijuana
than those children whose parents are economically poor.
To the larger extent poverty contributed toward deteriorating of the lives of
drug users. Poverty tends to be called the economic explanation of deviant’s
behaviour. In a situation where youth despite been educated but yet are unable to
get employed that what is called the bad economic state of any country. The
vulnerable youth decided to live in ghettos and slums in urban areas where the
substance has become the order of the day. Although drug abuse is not peculiar to
a particular region of the world or a particular social stratum. According to Njagi
(2015), children from wealthy families and were not denied anything when we talk
about access to material resource also engage themselves in substance abuse for
enjoyment and luxury purpose.

EFFECTS OF DRUG ABUSE

Drug abuse constitutes a significant part of the health problems affecting not
only the substance abusers but also the non-users in many ways. There exist a series
of health issues associated with drug abuse. The health issues may be related to
physical or mental health, both of these impairments are of greater concern to the
government and policymakers. This study aimed to explore the effects of substance
abuse on physical, social and mental health. Excessive intake of drugs leads to
dependence; as such a person continues taking drugs with or without doctor’s
prescription or strict adherence to the required dosage may lead to a person been
addicted to the extent that he or she cannot do without it (Doherty & Gaughran
2014). A person will make it habitually, would keep on taking the drug in spite of
the psychological, physical and mental health problems and consequence the act
may cause to the user. The procedure of drug dependence is an intricate
phenomenon, consisting of a mixture of “biogenetic, neurochemical and
psychological factors”. Substance dependence entails and irresistible desire to use
the drug to satisfy the desire and this can only happen due to the reoccurring intake
of the drug. This has adverse effects on the individual user; it may harm them
physically, emotionally and socially.

Physical Illnesses Cause by Drug Abuse

People who engage in drug abuse may be infected with heart-related

ailments such as high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, musculoskeletal,
neurological, and respiratory diseases. The reason is that substance use and abuse
“does not only affect the brain but also destroy the organs of the body” (Keaney et
al 2011). Those of drug addicts who engage themselves in injecting had drugs
through their blood have a high risk of HIV and AIDS infection, cancer of the lungs,
throat, stomach, Liver cirrhosis, Hepatitis B and C. This addict also affects the
reproductive health of the users such as problems impotence, low sperm count,
Tuberculosis, Diabetes mellitus, Injuries obtained from road traffic accidents Low
birth weight babies, babies with fetal alcohol syndrome etc (Ekpenyongi, 2012).
Studies conducted on the negative consequences of psychoactive drugs such
as cocaine lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) amphetamines show that the intake of
drugs causes sleeping disorders, poor appetite, restless, irritability, suicidal
depressions, ecstatic paranoia, hallucinations, panic reactions, sensory
disorientation and loss of lives. Furthermore, parsons reported abusing heroin was

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discovered to have suffered from “dependence, blood-borne viruses’ psychological

abnormalities” (Njoku et al., 2017). In wider society, psychoactive substance
instigates the re- occurrence of social unrest such as; criminalities, insurgencies and
terrorism. Most of these social vices were committed under the influence of drugs.
Other consequences of substance abuse to Nigerian society include the prevalence
of HIV/AIDS. United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC, 2010), report
stated that majority of the HIV infection occurred through injectable drugs.
Therefore, those who engage themselves in substance abuse have high propensity
of being infected with health issues. Excessive alcohol user is most likely to engage
in sexual behaviour which may risk of been infected with sexually transmitted
diseases such as HIV/AIDS (Cooper et al., 2008).
Excessive usage of alcohol affects the central nervous system which causes
sensations and depression similar to the sleeping tablets such as diazepam. It also
alters vision, damage motor coordination and slur speech (Butcher et al. 2004). Too
much Alcoholic drinks also lead to damage to the endocrine glands and pancreas,
heart failure, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, stroke and capillary haemorrhages,
the physical sign of these illnesses includes swelling and redness in the face, nose
(Argyropoulos, & Nutt, 2013).
Tobacco is another substance that causes health problem to the user. It
comes in many categories, it is smoked in the form of cigarette, chewed or inhale
through the nose and as time gets on the users get addicted to the nicotine, carbon
monoxide and tar contents of the tobacco which is harmful to the body of the user
(Davison et al, 2004). Cigarette smoking increases heart bit, narrows blood vessels
and cause cancer, tuberculosis and reduced life expectancy rate (Cicchetti &
Handley, 2019). Tobacco products like cigarettes are among the principal causes of
early mortality. According to the National Council on Smoking (2018), roughly
25,000 people died yearly for smoking-related ailments. The health consequence
did not only affect the smokers but even the non-user also gets affected from the
smoke discharge from the burning cigarettes which the environmental health
professionals’ term it as “second-hand smoke, or Environmental Tobacco Smoke
(ETS)”. This discharged smoke carried significant concentrations of “ammonia,
carbon monoxide, nicotine and tar than do the smoke inhaled by the smoker”. ETS
is responsible for the death of over 50,000 people annually (Cicchetti & Handley,
2019). Therefore, there is a likelihood that non-smokers stand the greater threat of
been infected from heart diseases and cancer of lung and throat.
Marijuana smokers get infected from anaemia and scratchy eyes, dry mouth
and throat, increased appetite and in some cases been hypertensive it very dangerous
to those who suffer from cardiovascular problems due to increased heart bit.
Cannabis users also stand a higher risk of lung cancer. A study conducted by
Freeman et al (2018), revealed that marijuana distorted brain functioning. It also
leads to poor academic performance among users, this is because the cannabis toxic
substance harms memory and recall and attentiveness. A student who is excellently
performing and participating in class when engaging in excessive marijuana intake
his performance would gradually be diminishing because he will be less serious and
attentive to the lesson been taught and would encounter difficulties in recalling what
he already learned in class. In a situation where the user decided to quit the intake
of cannabis, may encounter with
“irritability, decreased appetite, sleep disturbance, sweating, tremor, vomiting and
diarrhoea.

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Heroin is another psychoactive substance which causes health impairments

such as “central nervous system, causes respiratory depression, nausea and
vomiting” (Carson et al. 2008, p. 58). Heroin hardly dissolves when it comes to the
blood circulation which may lead to clotting and lead to damage of body organs
such as lung, liver, kidney and heart. The person suffering from these impairments
stands a higher risk of losing his life. Another risk factor for the heroin user is the
possibility of been infected to HIV/AIDS during injection when the users share
needles. However, heroin cases have not been found in the study area.
Cocaine is another dangerous substance which causes paralyses, cardiac
attack and death (Craig and Baucum, 2001). It arouses sexual desire and
encountering difficulties in remembering, sometimes it leads to the distortion of
memory and may in some cases also lead to infections such as HIV/AIDS.
Methamphetamine is another dangerous substance to the life of the users. A strong
desire to use this substance occurs when it is taken frequently been used, it’s
withdrawal lead to many adverse effects and can easily relapse. The findings of
many scholars such as, Shehu and Rao, P.D. (2020c), on the adverse effects of
amphetamine, stated that the drugs may cause “damage to the brain, affecting both
dopamine and serotonin systems”. Intake of this drug acts quickly to get intoxicated.
Consumption of this drug causes euphoria, a high, but not a rush, wakefulness and
insomnia, decreased appetite, irritability, aggression, anxiety, nervousness,
convulsions and heart attack.

Mental Illnesses Cause by Drug Abuse

Drug abusers are liable to mental retardation and disorders, it may be a mild
mental disorder (neurosis) or severe mental disorder (psychosis) depends on the
frequent usage of the drug the frequent intake of drugs may lead to problems like
Substance use disorders (insomnia, restlessness, auditory and visual
hallucinations,). Drug dependence, overdose of drugs which can lead to premature
death, increase in crime and violence, cultism, insurgency and terrorism, loss of
family, friends and job, dropping out of school, collapse in the social system (Link,
et al, 1999). Alcoholic drinks and sleeping inducing tablets cause depression on the
users. Drug abuse is problematic in all ramifications, its intake may cause many
health problems both physical and mental and also withdrawal from the substance
abuse affects the mental health of the drug user. Abandonment or withdrawal of
tobacco and other substance with high nicotine contents may result to the mental
health problems such as nervousness, anxiety, lightheadedness, headaches, fatigues,
constipation and diarrhoea, dizziness, sweating, cramps, tremors and palpitations.
According to Rice and Dolgin (2008) tobacco smokers display some kind of anti-
social and deviant behaviour same attribute happened to the heroin-addicts
especially when the supply of the products is reduced or stopped. Marijuana
smokers suffer from various mental problems such as loss of memory and learning,
distorted perception of sight, sound time and touch, trouble with thinking and
problem-solving. This is common among college students who engage themselves
in marijuana and other cannabis substance abuse. Heavy smoking of marijuana in
some cases make the user to get affected with drugs induced psychoses,
hallucinations, delusion, and schizophrenia.
Cocaine is another dangerous substance which directly affects the health of
the user. Cocaine causes serious mental illness, the major adverse effects are
nervousness, irritability and restlessness, mild paranoia, physical exhaustion,

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mental confusion, loss of weight, fatigue or depression. It affects the brain and alters
brain normal function as the abuser suffers from psychotrauma of confusion,
anxiety and depression. Excessive cocaine usage may lead to cocaine psychosis that
is a severe mental disorder due to cocaine addiction. Other mental disorders are
hallucinations and delusions and insects crawling under their skin.

Social Effects of Drug Abuse

A study conducted in Nigeria on the techniques and strategies to discourage
the rate of drug abuse among the students of tertiary institutions revealed that
persistence drug abuse may lead to students’ dropout from schools even before
finishing their studies. It may also decrease their chances of being substantial
investors and also causes students riots in universities or colleges which will distort
academic calendar and the inability of the school to cover the required syllabus and
may lead to poor academic performance (Yusuf et al., 2013). It is clear most of the
crime committed by youth is closely linked to drug abuse when the user gets
intoxicated their behaviours or cost of action would be under the influence of the
drug intake. Proper enforcement mechanism should be developed by the
government of Nigeria to curtail the menace of drug abuse in the country (Yusuf et
al., 2013) Drug abuse also contributed to other anti-social behaviours such as theft,
burglary, rape cases, sodomy, lesbianism, commercial sex business and
pickpocketing (Mohammad & Yusof, 2014). Ethno-religious conflict and political
violence occur due to the influence of drugs. Youth appear to be the major actors
igniting and instigating the occurrence of this social unrest in Nigeria. Political
violence appears to the major threat peaceful coexistence of Nigeria. According to
Siro (2014), majority of the political hooligans under the influence of drug. It was
stated that more than 60 per cent of the people that partake in political violence are
youth and drug abuser in Nigeria.

CONCLUSION
The menace of drug abuse leads to economic set back to the country and the
individual users. According to the Department of Social Development Kenya report
(2006), the total number of two million five hundred thousand lost their jobs as a
result of work absenteeism due to drug abuse. Similarly, the government spent a
huge amount of money on supply and equipping the health centres with the required
drugs to treat drug addicts though the country has some economic crises. Those
persons who use drugs and enter roads especially the long-distance truck drivers at
the end some of them meet with an accident which lead to loss of lives of both the
drivers and innocent pedestrians. The government spends huge money to cater for
the survived ones from the accidents in de- addiction centres.

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