DRUG ABUSE AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN KANO METROPOLIS, NIGERIA.

Abstract

Drug abuse is one of the problems confronting the Nigerian nation today. Incidences of drug
abuse and related anti-social behavior have tremendously increased in recent years. This has
become a matter of concern to the government, parents, teachers, and non-governmental
organizations. This study examined the prevalence and factors associated with drug abuse
among adolescents in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria. A sample size of 480adolescents was selected
using a multistage and snowball sampling techniques. The data collected were analyzed using
the Statistical Package for Social sciences (SPSS Version 21).About 75 percent of the
respondents agreed that they had once or severally used one, two or more different types of
drugs in the area. The findings indicate that respondents without parents were more likely to
use drugs than those with one or both parents (p< 0.001). Respondents who never went to
school were also more likely to abuse drugs than those who completed school (p<0.001).The
results also revealed a statistically significant difference between parental status and exposure
to drug abuse (p =.001). Stress, peer drug use, depression, self-esteem, unemployment and
poverty were found to have statistically significant relationship with drug abuse and accounted
for about 33 percent of the variance in drug abuse. This study showed that drug abuse is
prevalent in the study area and the factors associated with this abuse were within the societal
surveillance. The study recommended the development of peer support programs,
entrepreneurship training and creation employment opportunities for adolescents.