ABSTRACT
Background:Vehicle drivers have been known and documented to use psychoactive substances while driving (Labat et al., 2008). Long distance commercial driving is arguably the most common means of transport in Nigeria and indeed some other parts of the world where alternative means of transportation are not well developed.
Objective: The objective of this study is to assessing the level of substance abuse among commercial bus drivers in Ugbowo, Benin-City area of Edo State, Nigeria.
Method:The study adopted a designed standard questionnaire which was pretested. The questionnaireswere distributed to commercial bus drivers in major parks in Ugbowo area, Benin-city, Edo state and they were given sufficient time to complete the questionnaire. After which, the questionnaires were collected and checked for completeness prior to entry into Microsoft excel and analysis The data were analyzed descriptively (percentage frequency) for demographic data and variables)
Results:Almost all (98.5%) of the respondents are male. More than two fifth (46.3%) of the respondents are within the age range of 25-34 years. The respondents have an average age of 33.4 years. The study further showed that more than one third (42%) of the respondents had no formal education.More than seven out of every ten (79.5%) of the respondents takes one form of substance or the other. The proportion of respondents that abused more than one substance at a time was 53% and less than half (43%) of the respondents abused substances about 2-3 times in a day.commonly abused substances by the commercial bus drivers are coffee (87.2%), alcohol (81%), marijuana (53%), cola-nut (local stimulant) (28.6%), solutions (21.2%) and tramadol (18.1%).
Conclusion:Commercial bus drivers had basic knowledge about substance abuse.Alcohol, stimulants like coffee, marijuana and solutions which includes mixtures as well as vulcanizer solutions, methane and gases from septic tanks are the most common abused substances by commercial bus drivers.Staying alert, relieving anxiety and pleasure are the reasons many commercial drivers abuse substances.
