Illicit drug use and substance abuse among Nigerian youth is on the rise. Among the highly abused drugs and substances are codeine, cannabis opioid, methamphetamine, tramadol, morphine, cocaine, paints, and super glue. Substance abuse has been known to be associated with increased incidences of mental health issues, prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, domestic abuse, sexual violence, abortion, terrorism, and collapse in the social structure. Apart from underlying biological predisposing factors, the root cause of substance use may be psychosocial, socioeconomic, sociocultural, socio-religious, and sociopolitical, which could be difficult to address. However, the outcome affects mental, emotional and behavioral health. Evidence has shown that the punitive approach to tackling the problem is ineffective, and better opportunities may exist for health promotions. That is health promotion interventions that minimizeshealth-risk behavior of illicit substance use, abuse, and addiction, and promotes a healthy lifestyle or health-seeking behavior. Given the strong socio-cultural and highly communal context of Nigerian society, which is highly embedded in strong family and religious ties, the social cognitive model (SCM) for behavioral change offers a more resilient framework for an effective health promotion intervention against illicit drug and substance use. This article proposes and discusses the feasibility of a health promotion intervention based on the SCM of health behavioral change.
Henry Omoregie Egharevba (Tue,) studied this question.