ABSTRACT
This study
investigated and found the influence of drug abuse on the academic performance
of secondary school students. The purpose of the study was to find out how drug
abuse has influenced the academic performance of secondary school
students. The study adopted a descriptive
survey design in which three research questions were posed. The population of
the study was 1000 while the sample size of 200 was selected randomly out of
the total population of Government secondary school in Enugu North local
Government Area of Enugu state. Four point scale questionnaire was used as the
instrument for data collection. The instrument was adequately validated with
its reliability established using test retest. Data collected were analyzed
using mean score. Base on the data collected and carefully analyzed, the
researcher made the following findings that drug abuse has a negative influence
on secondary school students and that drug abuse among students causes students
to be depressed with their academic activities, decreases students focuses in
class, reduces the cognitive ability of the students and increases forgetfulness. The researcher also found out reasons why
students engage in drug abuse such as academic problems, To become high and
fit into the group, Drug habit of students is attributed with their parents
drug habits, Students association with their peer group influences them to
engage in drug abuse, Students are involved in drug abuse because they want to
gain power. Finally, the researcher found out the most adequate measure for
eradicating drug abuse is true the creation of awareness early in schools,
Preventive program for high school student and counseling. Base on the
findings, the researcher made the following recommendation: the Government should prevent the sales and cultivation of
Indian Herbs and other deadly herbs that encourage drug abuse. They should also
enforce its existing laws against drug abuse through its regulatory agencies. They
should also embark on the Establishment of Counseling Centers for Drug Control and
Establishment of Family Education.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to
the study
Drug is a substance that due to its
chemical nature affects physical, mental and emotional functioning. Lewinsohn
(2007) defines a drug as any product other than food or water that affects the
way people feel, think, see, and behave
Drug abuse according to Laver (1978) simply means the improper use of drugs to
the degree that the consequences are defined as detrimental to the user and or
the society The world Health Organization (WHO) (2006) defined drug
abuse as a state of periodic or chronic intoxication, detrimental to the
individual and the society, produced by the repeated consumption of a drug
(natural or synthetic).
Drug abuse is the use of drugs for
purposes other than medical reasons, thus affecting the individual in a
negative way socially, cognitively or physically. It can enter the body through
chewing, inhaling, smoking, drinking, rubbing on the skin or injection. Drug
abuse amongst the global youth population has become a serious problem
affecting everyone. Addiction leads many people, young people prominent amongst
them, into downward spiral of hopelessness that in some cases ends fatal. They
range from glue-sniffing street children and teenage ecstasy users, to hard
core heroin and cocaine addicts
(Paschall, 2005). Drug abuse is responsible
for lost wages, destruction of property in schools, soaring health care costs
and broken families. It is a problem which affects us all as parents, children,
teachers, government officials, taxpayers and workers.
Students, especially those in secondary school tend to see
the drug user as one who is tough, bold and strong. Many youngsters have been
known to use drugs at the instance of peers, elders or siblings. Students who
usually feel inadequate have been known to use drugs to achieve social
acceptance. Esen (1979) stated that Nigerian secondary school students under
the influence of Indian hemp shed all inhibitions and produce behaviour that is
inconsistent with school discipline. He went further to observe that the
increasing incidence of drug abuse among secondary school students is a
contributory factor in the ugly confrontation between school administration and
students.
Idowu (1987)
found that students smoke and use drugs at the instance of friends/peers,
parents and television/radio advertisements. Oladele, (1989); Okorodudu and
Okorodudu (2004); and Enakpoya (2009) in their studies showed that adolescents
were very susceptible to the influence of their peers. Osikoya and Ali (2006)
asserted that socially, a drug abuser is always pre-occupied with how to obtain
drug of choice and crave for the substance. Kobiowu (2006) study revealed that
the academic pursuit of those students who engages in drug misuse is not unduly
jeopardized, and that the abusers do not socialize extraordinarily, contrary to
seemingly popular expectation.
The abuse of drug has series adverse consequences in
our homes, schools, work places and communities and so the national institute
of Drug Abuse (NDA) set out their effort to help the public understand the
causes of drug abuse and how to prevent its problems. They also identify
effective interventions with younger population to help prevent risk behavior
before drug abuse occurs. Research founded by (NDA) and other federal research
organizations such as the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (2009),
shows that early intervention can prevent many adolescent risk behaviors. With
regard to this research work, we believe that focusing more broadly on
secondary school in Enugu north of Enugu state will help to find out the
possible ways to prevent the influence of drug abuse on student academic
performance.
The use of hard drugs has affect both
families, school and the societies as a whole, but precisely is it influence on
the academic performance of secondary school students.
Academic performance is the outcome
of education, the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has
achieved their educational goals. Academic performance is commonly measured by
examination or continuous assessment but there is no general agreement on how
it is best tested or which aspects are most important, procedural knowledge
such as skills or declarative knowledge such as facts (Annie, Howard, Mildred
1996). The academic performance of students is greatly affected by drug abuse
and addiction. Hence Cole man (2010) concludes that drug abuse and addiction is
detrimental to the socio-economic and intellectual advancement of the nation.
Drug abuse can also affects the brain, resulting in a major
decline in its functions, whereby it can further affect a student’s concentration and thus
interest in school activities which may
leads to increased absenteeism and drop outs. Most psychoactive drugs affect
the decision making process of students, their creative thinking and the
development of necessary life and social skills. Drugs abuse also interferes
with an individual’s awareness of their unique potential and thus their
interest in their career development (Louw, 2001). This gradually leads to
social, emotional and physical problems and new feelings of guilt, despair and
helplessness. Thus, resulting to poor performance in their academics
Therefore this research work is
motivated by the degree of the influence of drug abuse on the academic
performance of secondary school students.
Statement of the Problem
Drug abuse is a pandemic problem and it increases in an
alarming rate in Nigeria today. About two decades ago, incidence of drug
trafficking in Nigeria was low and abuse was minimal, but today drug abuse has
destroyed and killed many people in the society. The
height of drug trafficking in Nigeria was witnessed in 1985 under the military
regime. During this period It was mostly the university undergraduates that
were caught and the first to be executed for drug offences under the “special
tribunal (miscellaneous offences) Degree NO 20 1984.
Nevertheless, the usage of drug either by secondary school
students or other members of the larger society is all its ramifications
appears to be a social problem. The Nigerian National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
has stated that drug abuse is a major problem in schools, colleges and
universities in Nigeria. This is a critical problem which affects the society
as it hampers the academic performance of students at the secondary level who
are expected to develop and become leaders of tomorrow. The secondary school
students who are the youth and the future hope of the society have created a
social problem of engaging in hard drug that can be destruction to their
academic endeavors.
In support of the above assertion;
drug abuse may entails a lot of social problems ranging from lateness to
classes, family neglect, deviance behaviors involvement in crime etc (Earl
2000).
To
the society as a whole crime, promiscuity, armed robbery and other vice are all
linked to drug abuse.
Despite the overwhelming intervention
strategies by
the Government, religious
organizations, non-state actors and many other keen stakeholders to curb the
problem of drug and substance abuse especially among the students and the youth
entirely , the number of school going youth being suck into drug abuse seems to
be escalating day by day. The government for instance has placed education at
the centre of the social pillar of vision 2030. To show its commitment it has
highly subsidized secondary school education thus boosting access and retention
rates in the system, all these intervention strategies have had huge cost
implications on the taxpayer including the opportunity cost.
But
drug abuse threatens and tends to
derail these noble strides by de-motivating the students in learning and
subsequently ruining these school going children that the government intends to
rely on in driving the economy to the next level. Drugs abuse menace should
therefore be given the attention it deserves if the intentions of this hefty
investment in education are to bear fruits.
For the government and the society to get positive ought come from the
education of secondary school students, there is the need to investigate into
the influence of drug abuse among secondary school students in other to offer
solution to remedy it
Therefore
this study is motivated by the alarming influence of drug abuse on the academic
performance of secondary school student students.
Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this research is to find out how
drug abuse influenced the academic performance of secondary school student in
Enugu north local government of Enugu state.
·
Identify the
influence of drug abuse on the academic performance of secondary school
students
·
determine the
reasons why drugs are been abused by secondary school students
·
Find out
measures for eradicating the problem of drug among secondary school students.
Scope of study
The scope of this study is limited towards finding
the influence of drug abuse on the academic performance of secondary school
students in Enugu North local Government Area of Enugu state.
Significant of the study
This
research work is important to the student, the government, the health sector
and the public. This study is very important to the student because it the
student with the information of the different kinds of drug that are been
abuse, solutions to the problem of drug abuse on the student. It will help
student to know the influence of alcohol which is the most common abuse
substance in secondary. The result of this study will also be included in
counseling education which will help everyone involved, from the student
abusing drug to family and friends. It is important that people who abuse
substances are aware of how drug can affect their minds, bodies relationships,
and functioning. This awareness can help them realize the potential damage that
has already occurred.
This research work will help the government to
understand the influence of drug abuse on the student. The government which is
the agency of a state at all level will now take the responsibility of making
sure through the ministry of education and it agencies that the educational
curriculum encompasses the teaching on the prevention of drug abuse. It will
also alert the government through it agency to equip secondary school teachers
and principals to combats drug abuse by their student. This can be done, by
expulsion or suspension of any student been cut in such act.
The
study will go a long way in reducing the numerous health problems encountered
as a result of misuse of drugs or the intake of hard drugs. This study will
also help young researchers or writers to solve some problems of drug abuse.
There by ensuring good health of the university undergraduates or youths in
general and social harmony in the society.
The research of the study should help in creating
awareness to the public on the general effect of drug abuse on their health
most especially the secondary school student who is coming up. It will make the
youths to realize that excessive or even small intake of this item (drugs) has
inhibitory effects on their brain. It will also assist in enlightening the
community on how to enhance anti-drug laws in the society
Research
questions
The following research
questions will guide the study.
·
What are the
influences of drug abuse on academic performance of secondary school students?
·
What are the
major reasons why secondary school student’s engage in drug abuse?
·
What are the
measures that can eradicate drug abuse among secondary school students?
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