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The Impact Of Drug Abuse Among Youth
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The impact of drug abuse among the youths has been considered a moral
decadent. Drug abuse has made the face of the youths rough and brought
shame to the society. The youths are deliberately using drugs illegally,
unlawfully and intentionally. Many of the youths ignorantly or
knowingly depend on one drug or the other for their daily activities.
Therefore, this issue of drug abuse has been a serious concern for the
society. In recent times, the rate at which youth abuse drugs have been
so alarming and worrisome that much effort has being made to eradicate
it. As the youths are abusing drugs, the effort being made to eradicate
it is losing strength. Drug abuse and addiction have destructive and
devastating consequences but the youths are still into drugs. (Barber,
1967).
In Lagos State, drug abuse among the youth has become a
serious problem affecting everyone. Addiction leads many people, young
prominent amongst them into downward spiral of hopelessness that in some
cases ends fatal. The range from glue-sniffing street children and
teenage ecstasy users, to hard core heroin and cocaine addicts. (Nacada,
2005).
Drug abuse is responsible for lost wages, destruction of
properties in school, soaring health care costs and broken families. It
is a problem which affects parents, children, teachers, government
officials, taxpayers and workers. Drug abuse and other associated
problems constitute a major threat to the survival and effective
functioning of human societies; lives are lost daily through addiction
and activities of addicts. A significant number of deaths from accidents
and violent crimes have been traced to the activities of persons under
the influence of drugs. (Falope, 1991).
Treatment facilities in the
state are now gradually being over burden with drug-related problems
and cases. The need to prevent drug abuse among the youths who are the
growing generation of the state thus becomes imperative. ( Ogunleye,
1990).
In Plateau State, drug abuse can be traced in Kabong
community long before the period of colonial era. The general perception
is that, drug abuse is for motivation, intoxication and adequate
performance both physically and socially. Some equally belief that it
gives them wonderful ideas and thoughts. Others said it is an ‘’oil of
conversation’’, which means when taken, it enables them to talk well and
meaningfully or rationally. ( Swaggart, 1984).
Within the Kabong
community of Jos South Local Government Area, there appears to
be an increasing rate of drug abuse in family setting. An observation
shows that this practice of drug abuse is prominent among both sex,
though this observation also indicated that most of the female who abuse
drug do not openly indulge in this practice due to socio-cultural
reasons. Drug abuse is indeed one of the major social problem being
faced totally by the youth of Kabong community of Jos South, it account
for a large portion of such problem and it has raise health and marital
issues for social welfare agencies. The problem of drug abuse has become
a trans-cultural phenomenon in the community as it has been observed in
most communities in Plateau State. (Silverstein, 1990).
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