Drug Use, Driving Behaviour, Accident Rate and Passengers’ Injury among Commercial Drivers in Oshodi Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

For long time now, the issue of drug abuse and addiction and its myriad concomitant problems has unremittingly resonated under academic and research spotlights in many parts of the world. Numerous authors and researchers have regularly assessed the costs (social, economic, and health) of illicit drug use on the lives of users, non-users and other members of the community (Schulte and Hser, 2014; Gans, 2019; NIDA, 2019). Despite the numerous dark sides of illicit drug consumption and various cross-cutting tasks employed nationally, regional and internationally; the problem of illicit drug use by people from different walk of life is not waning; and has consequently become a global phenomenon. Indeed, the issue of drug use and abuse cuts across race, gender, creed, and occupational divides, and is steadily on the rise in recent years (Ekpenyong, 2012). It is estimated that about 230 million people (5%) out of the world's adult population have used an illicit drug at least once in the last 12 months of the survey (UNODC, 2012). In the same vein, several studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between driving under the influence of psychoactive drugs and auto accident. These studies and many others have underscored the fact that illicit drugs easily impair driving performance by reducing significantly people's driving ability (Stough and King, 2010; Alcohol and Drug Foundation, 2019; NIDA, 2019). Consequent upon this revelation, many countries in Europe and America have tightened their driving laws, increased penalties, and changed some of their strategies to address this growing problem (EMCDDA, 2007). Drug abuse among commercial drivers is major public health challenge. Involvement of commercial drivers in drug use and abuse can increase the risks of road crashes and other related automobile accidents. The impact of commercial drivers driving under the influence of psychoactive drugs can be substantial, damaging individual lives, properties, while shifting resources from other priorities, particularly within health practices. With the increase in the rate of road traffic accidents and other related injuries in many states across Nigeria, commercial bus drivers have also been fingered in the use of illicit substances when discharging their duties. According to the World Health Organisation (2007), studies from low-middle income countries show that 4%-69% of injured drivers Akinnawo, E. O.