DRUGS /SUBSTANCES ABUSE AMONG STUDENTS OF KADUNA POLYTECHNIC

DRUGS /SUBSTANCES ABUSE AMONG STUDENTS OF KADUNA POLYTECHNIC

CHAPTER 1
1.1 Introduction
There is a growing public concern in our country, Nigeria, about involvement of adolescents and young adult in drug abuse, which is defined as the non – medical use of substances by human beings that may modify one or more of its functions and may impair an individual ability to function effectively and may result in social physical or emotional harm.. While it is universally accepted that drugs can be of tremendous benefit to man and society, it is also acknowledged that inappropriate use of drugs can be harmful to man .The personal, social and public health problems associated with psychoactive substance use, have continued to arouse world wide
interest and concern. Various reports and researches conducted have illustrated this phenomenon. Drugs/substance abuse is a world wide hazard with dangerous complications that affect many countries around the globe, Nigeria inclusive. The problem varies from place to place. The African seminar on problems of drug dependence held in Lagos, Nigeria declared that “Drug abuse and dependence producing substances are widely prevalent in African countries have continue to increase. These problems affect the individual, the family and the society in general. Substance abuse which was originally conceived as the problem of a selected few is today becoming a problem of a sizeable proportion of the world population. The problem is so grave that it has extended beyond the usual characteristic profile of abusers being male, adult, and urban-based to now include females, youngsters and those who live in rural areas. Its economic effect is so devastating that it is estimated that the annual retail cost of psychotropic substances by prescription is over two billion naira while the alcoholic industry which produces over  five billion gallons of alcoholic beverages annually generate more than four billion naira from sales to a consumer population of about 30-35 million people. Illicit Drug traffic known to generate huge profit and fortune and that is one reason why it has been very difficult to combat the drug traffic in spite of several laws that have been promulgated. For instance, it has been estimated that the sum of $400 billion is the turn over of illicit drug industry, which is equivalent of approximately 8% of total international trade and therefore larger than the trade in iron steel, motor vehicle, textile, tourism. Drug abuse and other associated problems constitute a major threat to the survival and effective functioning of human societies, lives are lost daily through addiction and activities of addicts. A significant number of deaths from accidents and violent crimes have been traced to the activities of persons under the influence of drugs. Treatment facilities nation wide are now gradually being over burden with drug-related problems and cases. The need to prevent drug abuse among the general population and by the growing generation of Nigeria thus becomes imperatives.

DRUGS /SUBSTANCES ABUSE AMONG STUDENTS OF KADUNA POLYTECHNIC

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