Prevalence, Predictors of Drug and Substance Use, Their Psychosocial and Academic Effects on Secondary School Students in North-Eastern Nigeria: A Review

Abstract

Drug and substance use and abuse among secondary school students in North-Eastern Nigeria is a growing concern among stakeholders in the education sector, especially in the last decade. This menace has been linked to many negative consequences, including physical, psychological, and academic problems. While some studies have shown that the menace is low, others have shown that it is high and associated with various psycho-social and academic impacts. All the studies, however, agree on the prevalence and the associated educational effects. These studies have shown that various factors influence or sustain drug or substance habits. Predisposing factors related to a person's background, such as family history, upbringing, personal history, curiosity, peer pressure, and some life events like grief, divorce, re-marriage, loss of job, and change of home or school. Precipitating factors are psychological and physical factors that could trigger the tendency to use drugs or substances to cope. Such factors include stress, excessive pain, illness, and trauma from sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. Perpetuating factors are responsible for sustaining a person's drug or substance habit, such as associating with bad company and getting a pleasurable or material reward from any drug or substance that enhances performance in crime, sex, sports, music, or manual work. This study recommends the following: Increasing sensitization and awareness campaigns on the dangers of drugs and substance abuse, strengthening and funding law enforcement agencies to arrest and prosecute those selling illicit drugs and substances, enhancing parental guidance and monitoring of children to prevent and detect early signs of drug and substance use, implementing strict disciplinary measures and sanctions for students caught with drugs or substances, employing trained counselors and school psycholo-How to cite this paper: Nyameh, C. N.