Common Psycho-Active Substance Use Among the Students of a Government Senior Secondary School in Kano State

Haddad MM; Yahaya AS; Ahmad R; Idris A; Murtala HH; Umar M; Anyebe EE; Umar MU

Haddad MM Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Allied Health Science, College of Health Science, Bayero University Kano
Yahaya AS Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Allied Health Science, College of Health Science, Bayero University Kano
Ahmad R
Idris A
Murtala HH College of Nursing and Midwifery, Birnin-Kudu, Jigawa State
Umar M College of Nursing and Midwifery, Birnin-Kudu, Jigawa State
Anyebe EE Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Allied Health Science, University of Ilorin, Kwara State
Umar MU Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Clinical Health Science, College of Health Science, Bayero University Kano

Keywords: Age of onset, Substance abuse, Students, Common psycho-active substance, Prevalence

Abstract

In comparison with other developing countries, Nigerian students rank among the highest users of substance drugs, such as alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, benzodiazepines, cocaine and opioids despite the socio-educational setback associated with it. This study assessed common psychoactive substance use and the age of the onset of psychoactive substance use among the students of Tarauni government senior secondary school, Kano state. A cross-sectional descriptive study was employed and a self-administered questionnaire used to recruit a total of 247 that participated in the study. Systematic random sampling was employed to select the respondents of the study. The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 and presented in frequency distribution tables and percentages. The result indicated that most of the students (80.0%) had ever use psychoactive substances, among whom 34.0% reported to have used cough syrup, 22.3% marijuana, 12.8% tobacco, 10.1% animal dung. The age of onset of psychoactive substance use was 15-18 years (58.5%). There is a need for collaboration between parents and teachers on improving the monitoring strategies of students both at home and school to identify, prevent and curtail substance abuse.