CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND ADDICTION AMOUNG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF BENIN

ABSTRACT

Drug abuse is one of the health-related problems among Nigerian youths and has been a source of concern to educational stakeholders. Its social implications to undergraduate students cannot be quantified. In light of this, this study examined causes and consequences of drug abuse among undergraduates at the University of Benin, Edo State, Nigeria. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the respondents for the study. The instrument used was a researcherdesigned questionnaire on the causes and consequences of drug abuse among undergraduates. The population of study consist of 240 undergraduate students of the University of Benin. The demographic data of the respondents and drug abuse variable were described and analyzed using percentages. The findings of the study revealed that the major cause of drug abuse among undergraduates at the University of Benin was the influence from peer groups. Findings also revealed that the main consequences of drug abuse among undergraduates of the University of Benin was high depression and anxiety. It was further revealed that there were no significant differences in the causes and consequences of drug abuse among undergraduates of the University of Benin based on gender and their faculty. It was, however, recommended among others that laws should be passed to penalize haulage companies, particularly those who fail to enforce policies that would stop drug traffickers from abusing their facilities. Key Words: Substance abuse, youths, addiction, drug abuse, cannabis