PERCEIVED INFLUENCE OF DRUG ABUSE ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN UNIVERSITY OF BENIN

ABSTRACT

This aim of the study was to investigate the perceived influence of drug abuse on students’ academic performance in university of Benin.

Descriptive survey research design was adopted to accomplish the objectives of the study. The population of the study consists of all fourty four thousand, six hundred and ninety nine (44,699) and the sample size of 150 accessible Student was used for the study. The instrument for data collection was the questionnaire developed by the researcher and was validated by the researcher’s supervisor and two other experts from the Department of Health, Safety and Environmental Education. The reliability coefficient was 0.728 was obtained using Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient (PPMCC). The data collected were analyzed statistically using the statistical package of social sciences (SPSS) software.

The study revealed that the level of drug abuse among university of Benin Undergraduate is to a high extent and that the reasons that propel students to engage in drug abuse are Peer group influence of drug addiction on a student, Financial incapability of a student, Lifestyle from parents leads to drug abuse and Non-chalant attitude of parents leads to drug abuse. The study therefor recommends that First year students typically have exaggerated ideas about how much university students drink. Wanting to fit in and being free from parental control for the first time, there students can be led by this misperception into a pattern of heavy drinking that increases their risk of academic failure, serious injury, sexual assault and even death. Social norms marketing campaigns should be rolled out in universities and colleges to try to counteract these false beliefs by conveying accurate survey data about students drinking norms.