THE IMPACT OF AWARENESS CAMPAIGN ON DRUG ABUSE AMONG UNDERGRADUATES                                               

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

          In our society today, drug abuse as a pervasive behaviour is astronomically on the huge. Adults and adolescents are both victims of the psycho-social phenomenon. Many drug addicts in our society do not know that they are addicts. It should be noted therefore that not all users of the substances are addicts. Rather several processes or stages are undergone before one becomes a drug addict. The movement is the reform from drug abuse to addiction. This also means that if one does not use drugs or abuse it, he cannot become an addict.

          There are, however, some first time drug users who find non-medical effects out the substances unpleasant such user stop using the substance immediately or soon after the reason for which the drug were prescribed have achieved for some users the habit persists for a longer time. This is the stage of drug dependence. It is a condition in which drug addicts can no longer function efficiently and normally in the absence of the substance he/she uses. The individual has so much used the drug that some chemical substance in the drug has been incorporated into the cells of the body. If he abstains from the drug he develops withdrawal, syndromes which mean he become sick as if some part of his body are no longer functioning effectively.    

          Therefore, it is necessary for us to find the cause and effect of drug abuse. But the research work is basically among undergraduate in Institute of Management and Technology IMT campus Enugu state.

          In this study, the researcher which to investigate the effectiveness of drug abuse on undergraduates in Institute of Management and Technology IMT campus Enugu state, iroking rate. This is IMT campus, the study with assess the effects of drug on them. In our present day, intake of drugs has to be a useful help tool to the health of all individual which an aim is to improve ones health mostly during illness period.

          For such improvement, to be achieved the individuals need to go by the rules of the doctor and this is achieve through effective communication between the pertinent and the physicians.

          According to the Free Dictionary.com states that communication is the exchange of thoughts messages or information as by speech, signal, writing, or behaviour.

1.2    STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

          Nowadays, a lot of people take to self medication or visiting quack medicine stores where drugs are prescribed by untrained physicians who have little or no knowledge of the drugs being given or sold to people.     

          Some of the students and lecturers are ignorant of the implications and effects of drug abuse in their academic performance and life most of them who knows what drug abuse is, never thought of going to health care center to be diagnosed by the doctor. The simple reason is that they are afraid of missing their classes or examinations. They engage themselves in self medication because they thought they know what they are suffering from.

          The major problems the study likes to fish out are as follows:

1.       The rate of students involved in self medication.

2.       The effects those drugs have on the individuals involved.

3.       And factors that make students indulge in drug abuse.

1.3    OBJECTIVE OF STUDY

          The purpose of the study create find out the drugs commonly abused by students in IMT campus of Enugu state and does the impact of the campaign improve the situation, the factors that lead students to drugs abuse, its sociological, psychological, physical and economic effects on the student which includes:

a.       To find out the impact of campaigns on drug abuse, how it has helped in improving the situation among students in IMT campus in Enugu state.

b.       To find out the reasons why students indulge in drug abuse and to assess the extent of the students involvement in drug abuse.

c.       To identify the major types of drug commonly abused by undergraduates in Institute of Management and Technology IMT campus.

d.       To find out the measures the school administrators take to minimize the incidence of drug abuse in the school.

e.       To find out relationship between sex within incidence of drug abuse in Institute of Management and Technology IMT campus among its undergraduates students.

1.4    RESEARCH QUESTIONS

          In studying the above stated problems the following questions were postulated.

i.        What factors induce students into drug abuse?

ii.       To what extent are the students involved in drug abuse?

iii.      Among the male and female students, in which goi is the rate of drug abuse likely to be high?

iv.      Does the school authority have measures to prevent drug abuse in schools?

v.       To what extent does drug abuse campaign programme solve the problems?

1.5    RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

Hi:     Students are induced into drug abuse.

Ho:    Students are not induced into drug abuse.

1.6    RESEARCH ASSUMPTION

          For the purpose of the study, the following assumptions were made.

Ø    That the respondents would give appropriate useful and reliable information.

Ø    That the responses given by the respondents reflect what is peculiar to all undergraduates in IMT campus, the whole state and the country at large.

Ø    That the respondents would give appropriate useful and reliable information.

Ø    That the responses given by the respondents reflect what is peculiar to all undergraduates in IMT campus, the whole state and the country at large.

1.8    SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

          This study is important because the result of the finding may stimulate the interest of the staff of the university, school authorities and students alike. This significance is to expose the dangers involve in self medication and to provide measures audience can take for treatment of illness of any kind.

          The study serves as an intelligent guide to the government uplifting out those risks involved in self medication and placing more emphasis on it as an integral part of the general public. It would still plan some roles in national development central to communication is the sharing of information. Okunna (1999:107) define information as act to give knowledge to information is knowledge, and knowledge is power. Thus it is this sharing of experience, ideas, thoughts etc. among Marco group that is called “Mass Communication”.

1.9    CONCEPTUAL/OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

1.      Drug: It is an illegal substance that some people take to give them pleasant or exciting feelings. It is any chemical that influences or modifies the actions of the body own chemistry which may result in the physiological or behavioural changes. It is also a substance used for medical purposes.

2.      Abuse: This is said to include self medication, excessive quantities of drug, which may lead to tolerance, physical and psychological dependence, mental confusion and other symptoms of a normal behaviour. The use of something that is wrong or harmful.

3.      Drug: Either for the patient or for his friend.

4.      Drug Addict: Person who cannot get along without a particular drug.

5.      Abuse: A drug is said to be abused when an individual takes any substance under circumstance in a does that significantly increase the hazard potential whether or not used legally or as prescribed by a physician and include the misuse of any drug obtained in medically or socially acceptable way.

6.      Self Medication: This mean using drugs which were prescribed once.

7.      Addiction: The condition of being an addict.

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