ISSN 2348-3156 (Print)

International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
Vol. 6, Issue 2, pp: (770-776), Month: April - June 2018, Available at: [Link]

Drug Abuse among Secondary School Students

in Maiha Local Government Area of Adamawa
State Nigeria
1
Dorcas Oluremi FAREO, 2Alpha JACOB
1
Ph.D, Department of Science Education, Adamawa State University, P. O. Box 411, Mubi Nigeria
2
Department of Science Education, Adamawa State University, Mubi

Abstract: This study investigated the causes and the effects of drug abuse among secondary school students in
Maiha Local Government Area of Adamawa State. Population of the study consisted of all junior and senior public
secondary schools in Maiha Local Government Area of Adamawa State. Four secondary schools were selected
from thirteen secondary schools in the Local Government. A sample size of four hundred was chosen by stratified
sampling technique using class and sex as strata. A self developed instrument named “Drug Abuse among
Secondary School Students Questionnaire” (DASSSQ) was used for the study. The instrument was validated by
two experts both in Counselling Psychology and Test and Measurement, while test retest of reliability was used to
carry out the reliability of the instrument, and the reliability co-efficient was 0.85. Data were analyzed using
frequency count, percentages and t-test analysis. The result of the findings showed that drug abuse was caused by
various human factors such as peer group, broken homes, lack of parental care and the students suffered the
consequences of drug abuse on academic performance in schools. The study concluded that drug abuse was a
problem among students, most of them were aware of the dangers, yet they kept on indulging in the vices. Thus, it
was recommended that teachers should communicate and interact effectively with students and engage in
cooperative guidance and counselling session.
Keywords: drug abuse, misuse, overdose, unlawful, drug abusers.

1. INTRODUCTION
The use of alcohol, tobacco and other substances constitutes one of the mostimportant risk-taking behaviour among
adolescents and young adults in secondary schools. Despite worldwide concern and education about psychoactive
substances, many adolescents have limited awareness of their adverse consequences. Curiosity, social pressure and peer
group influence are reported to be primary reasons for substance misuse. Most often the adolescents and young adult
individuals start by experimenting with the so called “gateways drugs” such as tobacco, alcohol andmarijuaana (Oshodi,
Aina & Onajole, 2010).
Abdulahi (2009) viewed drug abuse as the use of drugs to the extent that interferes with the health and social function of
an individual. In essence, drug abuse may be defined as the arbitrary overdependence or misuse of one particular drug
with or without a prior medical diagnosis from qualified health practitioners.
It can also be viewed as the unlawful overdose in the use of drugs. Drugs used for diagnosis or prevention of disease are
drugs; articles which are not normally intended for the treatment, cure, diagnosis or prevention of diseases in man and
other animals, but are intended to purely for modification of the function are regarded as drugs. Thus alcohols, marijuana,
medicine and other substance such rubber solution taken and cough syrups purely for its effect on the psyche arc drug
abuse, while abuse’ implies a particular application of a drug more destructive than constructive for society, or the
individual. Drug abuse has gone a long way to create several health problems and immoral behaviours. Such health
problems include mental illness, cancer of the lungs, school drop-outs, juvenile delinquency, and other forms of bad
behaviours.
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The alarming rate of mental illness, in our society/streets today whereby drug addiction is a major predisposing factor
becomes a concern. Various researches have been carried out such as by Sambo (2008) viewed that chronic use of
substances can cause serious, sometimes irreversible damage to adolescent’s physical and psychological development.
The drug abuse could be harmful. Ekpenyong (2012) reported that drug abuse and its detrimental personnel and social
consequences is rampant .in schools today. He concluded that most students have a negative perception of drug abuse.
Fareo (2012) reported that drug abuse is a problem that is causing serious concern to both individual and government all
over the world. The problem is prevalent among adolescents who iii most cases are ignorant about the dangers inherent in
drug abuse. This study is therefore designed to examine the effects of drug abuse among secondary school students’
academic achievement in Maiha Local Government Area.

Statement of the Problem:

The researchers observed that during his teaching practice at Maiha secondary school at Maiha Local Government, the
attitude of some students towards their studies were not encouraging. They did not come to school regularly and some
others when they came, did not stay in the class for their lessons as most of them preferred to stay in their hide-outs where
they carried out their nefarious activities such as smoking, and taking of alcohol, rubber solution and over dosages cough
syrups, like emzolyn, morphine, totolyn and coflin.
Students’ consumption of drugs especially during examination for the purpose of alertness is very common. Also these
adolescent periods are the periods of attachment to the opposite sex which most of them cannot ordinarily do without the
use of some drugs. At social events, the timid male adolescents purposely take some drugs to enable them become bold in
order to woo ladies.. The abuse of these drugs which lead to addiction among these post-primary school students
gradually progresses to cause a host of problems in our society. Such problems includes occurrence of road traffic
accidents as a result of effects of substance abuse. Some become rude and arrogant to teachers and parents and
occasionally causing riots and chaos in their schools or campuses while some grow up to become criminals in the society
landing them in prison-yards. This study is therefore designed to examine the extent of drug that are abused, and
consequences of those drugs among secondary school students in Maiha Local Government Area of Adamawa State,
Nigeria.

Research Questions:
The following research questions were design to guide the study:
1. Which drugs are commonly abused by secondary school students?
2. What are the causes of drug abuse among secondary school students?
3. What are the factors that influenced drug abuse among secondary school students?
4. What are the effects of drug abuse on secondary school students?

Hypothesis:
HO: There is no significant different between drug abusers and non-drug abusers in academic performance among
secondary school students in Maiha Local Government Area.

2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design:
The study adopted a descriptive survey design and describes the prevalence and patterns of drug abuse among public
secondary schools students in Maiha Local Government Area of Adamawa State. This design was chosen because
Fajonyomi (2003) says that survey is used for descriptive, explanatory and exploratory purposes, and of course this survey
is descriptive in nature and therefore is more appropriate for this study. However cross sectional descriptive design is
considered appropriate because it allows for collection of data from a group of people at the same time for the purpose of
describing phenomena under study. Descriptive study also allows the investigator to discuss the phenomenon under study
as it exists at the time of study.

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Population and Sample:

The target population for this study was all junior and senior public secondary schools in Maiha Local Government Area
of Adamawa State. Four secondary schools were chosen from the thirteen secondary schools in the local government. The
population of students in the thirteen secondary schools was five thousand eight hundred and fifty three (5,853). The
sample size of four hundred (400) was chosen. Two junior and two senior secondary schools were chosen which included;
Government Senior Secondary School Maiha (GSSS Maiha), Government Day Secondary SchoolPakka (GDSS Pakka),
Government Day Secondary School JalingoMaiha (GDSS Jalingo,Maiha) and Government Girls Secondary School
Maksha(GGSS) by stratified sampling technique using class and sex as strata.
Research Instrument:
The research instrument titled “Drug Abuse among Secondary School Students (DASSS) was developed by the
researchers. The instrument comprised of 32 items divided into five sections. Section A contained the demographic
characteristics of the respondents which consisted of sex, name of school, class and Local Government Area. Section B
contained ten (10) items that measured the commonly drug that are abused among secondary school students. Section C
contained six (6) items which measured the causes of drug abuse. Section D contained six (6) items which measured the
factors that influenced drug abuse, while Section E contained ten (10) items which measured the effect of drug abuse on
secondary school students.
Validity and reliability of the Instrument:
The face and content validity of the instrument was established by two experst in Counselling Psychology and Test and
Measurementin the Department of Science Education, Adamawa State University Mubi. A pilot study of the instrument
was carried out in both junior and senior secondary schools in Maiha Local Government Area of Adamawa State. The
reliability of the instrument was carried out using test-pretest reliability method. First test was carried out in Adamawa
State University Secondary School on thirty (30) students; while the second test was administered after four weeks
interval to the same students. The reliability coefficient of 0.82 was obtained.
Data Collection and Analysis
The researchers administered and collected data on the spot. Thus, the retrieved data were analyzed using descriptive
statistics of frequency counts, percentages, and t-test analysis.

3. RESULTS
Research Question 1: Which drugs are commonly abused by secondary school students?
Table 1: Drugs that are commonly abused among Secondary School Students.

S/N Drugs commonly abused SA A D SD TOTAL

1 Penicillin drugs 240 120 20 20 400
(60%) (30%) (5%) (5%) (100%)
2 Cigarette 240 140 20 0 400
(60%) (35%) (5%) (0%) (100%)
3 Alcohol 300 80 12 8 400
(75%) (20%) (3%) (2%) (100%)
4 Phenega 200 160 28 12 400
(50%) (40%) (7%) (3%) (100%)
5 Indian hemp 292 60 40 8 400
(73%) (15%) (10%) (2%) (100%)
6 Cocaine 260 120 60 60 400
(65%) (30%) (15%) (15%) (100%)
7 Inhaler 160 120 60 60 400
(40%) (30%) (15%) (15%) (100%)
8 Sedatives 136 264 0 0 400
(34%) (66%) (0%) (0%) (100%)
9 Caffeine 108 272 20 0 400
(27%) (68%) (5%) (0%) (100%)
10 Morphine 280 112 8 0 400
(70%) (28%) (2%) (0%) (100%)
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Table 1 above shows the drugs that are commonly abused by students are sedatives 400(100%), morphine 392(98%),
caffeine 380 (95%), alcohol 380(95%), cigarette 380 (95%), phenega 360(90%), penicillin 360 (90%), Indian hemp 352
(88%), inhaler 280 (70%) and cocaine 260 (65%).
Research Question 2: What are the causes of drugs abuse among secondary school students?
Table 2: Causes of Drugs Abuse among Secondary School Students.

S/N Causes of Drugs Abuse SA A D SD TOTAL

1 Boredom and stress 168 204 16 12 400
(42%) (51%) (4%) (3%) (100%)
2 Curiosity 216 120 40 24 400
(54%) (30%) (10%) (6%) (100%)
3 Life problem 268 72 44 16 400
(67%) (18%) (11%) (4%) (100%)
4 Availability of drugs 100 256 28 16 400
(25%) (64%) (7%) (4%) (100%)
5 Lack of parental supervision 344 40 8 8 400
(86%) (10%) (2%) (2%) (100%)
6 The need energy to work for long hour 332 40 20 8 400
(83%) (10%) (5%) (2%) (100%)
Table 2 revealed that all the assumed causes are confirmed by respondents. Lack of parental supervision 384(96%), the
need to work for long hour 372 (93%), boredom and stress 372(93%), availability of drugs 356(89%), life problem 340
(85%) and curiosity 336 (84%),
Research Question 3: What are the factors that influenced drug abuse among secondary school students?
Table 3: Factors that Influence Drug Abuse among Secondary School Students.

S/N Causes of Drugs Abuse SA A D SD TOTAL

1 Peer group influence 328 40 16 16 400
(82%) (10%) (4%) (4%) (100%)
2 Broken home/family 312 80 8 0 400
(78%) (20%) (2%) (0%) (100%)
3 Lack of proper parental care 344 20 20 16 400
(86%) (5%) (5%) (4%) (100%)
4 Loneliness resort one to drug abuse 176 200 24 0 400
(44%) (50%) (6%) (0%) (100%)
5 Parent pressure on the child lead him/her to drug abuse 120 248 24 8 400
(30%) (62%) (6%) (2%) (100%)
6 Environmental predisposes one to drug abuse 272 124 4 0 400
(68%) (31%) (1%) (0%) (100%)
Table 3 above shows the factors that influenced drug abuse among secondary school students as lack of proper parental
care 384, peer group influence and broken home/family as the major causes of drugs abuse among students with a
percentage score 344(86%), environmental predisposes one to drug abuse with a percentage score of 272 (68%),
loneliness and parental pressure were considered as the least factor that influence drug abuse among students with 176
(44%).
Research Question 4: What are the effects of drugs abuse on secondary school students?
Table 4: Effect of drug abuse on secondary school students

S/N Effects of Drugs Abuse SA A D SD TOTAL

1 Brain Damage 356 40 4 0 400
(89%) (10%) (1%) (0%) (100%)
2 Inability to sleep 288 88 8 16 400
(72%) (22%) (2%) (4%) (100%)
3 Loss of appetite 256 132 8 4 400
(64%) (33%) (2%) (1%) (100%)

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4 Increase body temperature 280 120 0 0 400

(70%) (30%) (0%) (0%) (100%)
5 Various forms of cancers 272 100 20 8 400
(68%) (25%) (5%) (2%) (100%)
6 Ulcer 92 184 60 64 400
(23%) (46%) (15%) (16%) (100%)
7 Poor academic performance 352 44 4 0 400
(88%) (11%) (1%) (0%) (100%)
8 Drop out of school 264 136 0 0 400
(66%) (34%) (0%) (0%) (100%)
9 Premature death 200 164 28 8 400
(50%) (41%) (7%) (2%) (100%)
10 Increase in the rate of crime among youth 336 60 4 0 400
(84%) (15%) (1%) (0%) (100%)
Table 4 above revealed the consequences or effect of drug abuse among Secondary School Students in Maiha Local
Government Area. It can be seen that the leading advance effects of drugs abuse on Secondary School Students. Include
Brain Damage 356 (89%), poor academic performance 352 (88%) and increase in the rate of crime among youth 336
(84%). Inability to sleep 288 (72%), increase body temperature 280 (70%) and various forms of cancer 272 (68%). The
table further revealed the effect of drugs abuse which include drop out of school 264(66%), loss of appetite 256(64%),
premature death 200 (80%) and ulcer 92 (23%). Premature death and ulcer is considered as the least effect or
consequences of drug abuse on Secondary School Students.
HO1: There is no significant different between drug abuse and non-drug abusers in their academic performance among
Secondary School Students in Maiha Local Government Area.
Table 5: T-test analysis of Academic Performance between drug abuser and non-drug abuse among Secondary School Students
in Maiha Local Government Area

Variables N SD df t-calculated t-critical Decision

x
Non Drug Abuser 273 73.7 1,087
398 5.16 1.962 Rejected
Drug Abuser 25.6 662
* Significant (P < 0.05)
Table 5 shows that t-value (5.16) is greater than p-value (1.962) at 0.05 level significance. The null hypothesis which
states that there is no significant relationship between drug abuse and non-drug abuser in their academic performance
among secondary school students, is therefore rejected. This implies that there is a significant difference between drugs
abuse and students academic performance.

4. DISCUSSION
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of drug abuse on secondary school students in Maiha Local
Government Area of Adamawa State. The research question one revealed that the commonly abused drugs among
secondary school students are alcohol, Indian hemp, Morphine, Cigarette and Penicillin drugs which is very popular and
readily available to students for consumption. The finding are similar with the studies of NIDA (2009) Nte (2008) and
Adeniyi (2002) who reported that alcohol and Indian hemp are some of the major commonly abused drugs among
secondary school students. The finding of research question 2 revealed that the causes of drug abuse among secondary
students are lack of parental supervision, the need of energy to work for a long hour and life problem. This finding is
consistent with report of Bidris, (2014) whom opined that drug abuse is caused by lack of parental supervision and life
problem.
The finding in relation to research question 3 show that the factor that influenced drugs abuse among secondary school
students are lack of parental care, peer group influenced, broken home and environmental predisposes. This finding is in
line with the report of Miller (2012), Edward (2003), Winger and Hoffman (2004) and Diclemente (2006) whom reveal
that drug abuse is influenced by peer group, broken home and environmental factor.
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Research question 4 revealed the effect of drug abuse among secondary school students. The finding shows that drugs
abuse lead to brain damage, poor academic performance, increase the rate of crime among youth and drop out of school.
This finding is in consistent with the finding of Rebury (2006), Orija (2008) and Oshikoya& Ali (2006) which state that
the effect of drug abuse is seen in the mental ill health suffered by students and rise in incidents of crime in the society.
The study determined that there is a significant different between drug abusers and non-drug abusers academic
performance among secondary school students in Maiha Local Government Area. Raheem (2013) is in line with this
study who stress that drug abuse leads to poor students academic performances.

5. CONCLUSION
Evidently, drug and substance abuse is a problem among students. From the findings of this study, some students are
involved in drug abuse. Most are aware of the consequences, yet they keep on indulging in the vice. Such consequences
range from those health related, social related and academic related. Administrators as well as other stake holders
recommended heavy punishment for drug abusers as well as guidance and counseling.

6. RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the findings of this study the following are recommended:
 Ministry of Education in conjunction with National Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NACADA) should Provide
examples of curriculum review and reform which address drug abuse issues through integrating drug abuse
information into national school curriculum.
 Teachers should develop, implement and regularly review, in consultation with the school community and governing
council, a school behaviour code which is consistent with the drug abuse policies.
 Teachers should ensure that student behaviour is managed through procedures supported by a strong theoretical
understanding of how student learning and behaviour are best supported.
 Government should ensure that parents or caregivers have access to drug abuse information, support materials and
related documents.
 Teachers Develop and foster positive relationships with students and families.
 Teachers should communicate and interact effectively with students and engage in cooperative guidance and
counseling sessions.
REFERENCES
[1] .Abdulahi, Z. (2009). “Drug abuse among youths: Strategies for school counseling”, The Nigerian Society of
Educational Psychologists, Jos: Nigeria, 131-136.
[2] Adeniyi, T. (2006). Drug, alcohol and tobacco. Abeokuta Bode Publisher
[3] Diclemente, C. (2006). Addiction and change. Newyork: Guillford Press.
[4] Edwards, R. (2003). The problem of tobacco smoking. British Medical Journal, 328:217-219.
[5] Ekpenyoung, S. N. (2012). Drug abuse in Nigerian schools: A study of selected secondary institution in Bayelsa.
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[6] Fajonyomi, A. A. (2003).Overview of the research process. Research process in Education and Social Sciences.
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[8] Miller, B., Furr-Holden, D., Johnson M., Holder, H., Voas, R. &Keagy C. (2012).Biological Markers of Drug Use in
the Club Setting. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 70 (2):261–268.
[9] National Institute on Drug Abuse (20 Orija, S. (2008). Dimension of mental health. University of Ibadan inaugural
lecture.
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[10] Osikoya, K.A. &Alli, A. (2006). Perception of drug abuse among Nigerian undergraduates. World Journal of
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[11] Oshodi, O.Y., Aina, O.F. &Onajole, A.T. (2010). Substance use among secondary school students in an urban
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[12] Orija, S. (2008). Dimension of mental health. University of Ibadan inaugural lecture.
[13] Sambo, S. (2008). Understanding Guidance and Counselling, Zaria. Ahmadu Bello University, Press Limited.
[14] Rebury, E. (2006). Personal health behaviour in today’s society. Toronto Canada Incooperated.
[15] Raheem, B. O. (2013). Sociological factors to drug abuse and the effects on Secondary school students’ academic
performance in Ekiti and Ondo States, Nigeria. Contemporary Issues In Education Research, 6(2): 233-240.
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