Assessment of the Prevalence and Factors Contributing to Drug and Alcohol Use Among Young People in South-South, Nigeria

Background: Adolescent substance abuse is a major public health concern in Nigeria, having far-reaching effects on both individuals and society. The susceptibility of Nigerian youth to substance abuse is influenced by numerous factors including socioeconomic factors like poverty, unemployment, and limited access to education. Method: The research employed a cross-sectional descriptive design. Four hundred and fifty individuals were interviewed using interviewer-administered, structured questions through a multi-stage sampling procedure. After manual data analysis, a chi-square test statistic was employed to determine whether there was a significant relationship between the categorical variables, with a p-value of less than 0.05. Results: Out of the 450 responders, 241 (53.6%) male and 209 (46.4%) female were questioned. More than half of the respondents (54.5%) were between the ages of 19-21 years old. According to the survey, 182 people (or 40.4% of the sample) use one or more substances. The most popular ones are Alcohol, which is followed by paracetamol and cigarettes. About 93.1% and 87.3% of the respondents identified negative peer influence and lack of parental care as factors that influence drug and alcohol abuse respectively. The study also reveals a statistically significant relationship between Age, gender, and substance use. Conclusion: Adolescents actively use illegal substances, making drug misuse a pervasive social issue that disproportionately impacts young people. It also highlights how crucial peer and family pressure is to the development and maintenance of prescription medication abuse. Keywords: Adolescent, Drug misuse, Drug abuse, Alcohol