Main Article Content
Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Drug Misuse in a Polytechnic in Lagos, Nigeria
Abstract
Rationale/Objectives of the study: Drug use and misuse remain a critical problem in most countries and are associated with varied social and economical consequences. It includes self medication and abuse of psychoactive substances. The specific objective of the study were to assess the socio-demographic characteristics and pattern of drug misuse among the students of a Polytechnic in Lagos.
Research design: The study was carried out using a self reporting anonymous questionnaire modified and adapted from the World Health Organization (WHO), student drug survey proforma(1). The study population consisted of 210 students, 140 males and 70 females from the 5 levels of polytechnic education.
Main findings: Over 71% of the respondents acceded to drug misuse. This cuts across age, sex and educational levels. The modal age group of students who used un-prescribed drugs was 20–24 years. Almost all the class levels of respondents have above 60% use of un-prescribed drugs. There is a positive statistical association between the use of un-prescribed drugs and the level of education. (p<0.05). There is also a statistical relationship between school of studies of the respondents and the use of un-prescribed drugs (p<0.05). Most of the off-counters drugs are misused while the commonest drug type abused were the transquillizers (53.5%).
Conclusions/Recommendations: There is a very high prevalence of drug misuse among the respondents. There is a need for an effective method of enforcing the available legislation with regards to drug retailing. It is also important to give intensive health information to student users in order to prevent them from graduating into addicts with its attendant social and economical consequences.
KEY WORDS: Adolescents, Drug misuse, Tertiary Institutions
Nig. Jnl Health & Biomed. Sciences Vol.3(1) 2004: 40-43
Research design: The study was carried out using a self reporting anonymous questionnaire modified and adapted from the World Health Organization (WHO), student drug survey proforma(1). The study population consisted of 210 students, 140 males and 70 females from the 5 levels of polytechnic education.
Main findings: Over 71% of the respondents acceded to drug misuse. This cuts across age, sex and educational levels. The modal age group of students who used un-prescribed drugs was 20–24 years. Almost all the class levels of respondents have above 60% use of un-prescribed drugs. There is a positive statistical association between the use of un-prescribed drugs and the level of education. (p<0.05). There is also a statistical relationship between school of studies of the respondents and the use of un-prescribed drugs (p<0.05). Most of the off-counters drugs are misused while the commonest drug type abused were the transquillizers (53.5%).
Conclusions/Recommendations: There is a very high prevalence of drug misuse among the respondents. There is a need for an effective method of enforcing the available legislation with regards to drug retailing. It is also important to give intensive health information to student users in order to prevent them from graduating into addicts with its attendant social and economical consequences.
KEY WORDS: Adolescents, Drug misuse, Tertiary Institutions
Nig. Jnl Health & Biomed. Sciences Vol.3(1) 2004: 40-43
