Full Project – ASSESSMENT OF YOUTHS AND DRUG ABUSE IN NIGERIA: CHALLENGE FOR THE NIGERIAN CHURCHES

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Drugs are widely utilized by both young and old. Drugs are not just beneficial to humans; they are also beneficial to animals’ health. Humans medicate their animals when they become ill. A drug is a chemical that is effective in the life of any living creature, curing illness and promoting health. While it is true that drugs are utilized for beneficial therapeutic purposes and are an useful substance for maintaining good health, they are misused by individuals, particularly adolescents. They use it illegally and in an unlawful manner, and as a result, it becomes toxic to the body.

Drug usage among Nigerian adolescents has been seen as morally corrupt. Drug addiction has tarnished the youngsters’ faces in Nigeria and brought disgrace to our society. Nigerian youngsters are purposefully abusing drugs in an illicit, unlawful, and intentional manner.

Many of our kids, whether inadvertently or intentionally, rely on one or more drugs for daily tasks. According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, drugs, including alcohol and tobacco, have resulted in more traffic accidents and killed more people than any other disease known to humanity. While international drug trafficking grows in strength, international collaboration to combat it is progressively eroding in power and organization.

According to a research by world narcotics, drug seizures has decreased to less than 10% of worldwide circulation. Since 1988, the international death toll from drug addiction has quadrupled. Between 1976 and 1993, medical crises resulting from cocaine use increased by 1,000 percent in the United States, by 6% in the case of heroin, and by 155 percent in the case of cannabis. Between 1994 and 1995, cocaine users aged 12 to 17 grew by 166 percent in various nations. Every day, drugs are abused.

In Nigeria, drug misuse has long been a source of worry for the society. Adolescents have developed a substance addiction problem. In recent years, the prevalence of teenage drug usage has been so frightening and concerning that significant effort has been undertaken to eradicate it. As kids abuse drugs, the attempt to eliminate them deteriorates. Although drug misuse and addiction have damaging or fatal effects, our young continue to engage in drug usage. “Not only does it ruin the victim, but it also has a widespread effect on everyone who knows or works with the victim” (Barber, 1967:85). In our Nigerian society, drug addiction is a tragedy.

1.2 Statement of Problem

Drug abuse among youths in Nigeria is now a common phenomenon. Females are not exempt in this evil act. A recent research shows that 15-20 percent of drug addicts are females while males constitute about 50-55 percent, all comprising of traders, students, unskilled workers and the unemployed as shown by a retrospective study carried out by NDLEA (Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency).

Drug abuse has contributed in the set back of the society. Inspite of this, many youths do still indulge in it. In many psychiatric hospitals in Nigeria, many of our youths are there undergoing drug treatment. The number of the youths that are insane are more than old people that are insane and youths insanity is mostly caused by drug abuse. Some youths are school drop-outs because they could not continue due to the rate of drug they have taken that resulted to their insanity. University of Nigeria Nsukka is not an exception. Many youths are homeless, wanderers, derelicts, unemployed, rapist, thugs, armed robbers and so on because they are drug addicts. A lot of lives and property have been wasted in accident and violence because of drug. Youths that are supposed to be the hope of their families and the society at large and useful to themselves have wasted their lives, all because of drugs and it has been a serious problem in Nigeria.

1.3 Aim of the Study

The aim of this study is to make the Nigerian youths to be aware of the dangers of drug abuse, to bring out the roles especially that of the church in controlling drug abuse in Nigeria and to direct the youths on the way to follow to become useful to themselves, their families and to the Nigerian society at large.

To achieve this aim, the researcher is advocating that all hands should be on deck to curb this menace called drug abuse.

1.4 Significance of the Study

This work is significant because drug and it’s abuse were exposed here. The role of the church concerning drug abuse were also examined. Through this study, drug abuse among youths in Nigeria will be addressed with a view to finding lasting solutions to the problem.

This work will also be of great benefits to the Nigerian youths because it will make them know the implication of drug and it’s abuse.

If the church should really carry out their role towards drug abuse in Nigeria, it will be reduced or put to stop and Nigerian youths will turn over a new leaf and make positive contributions to their families and to the society at large.

1.5 Scope of the Study

The study is on the youths and drug abuse and challenges for the Nigerian churches on drug abuse in the Nigerian society.

Apart from the topic itself, many areas about drug abuse were treated in this research work.

1.6 Research Methodology

Materials for this research were from primary and secondary sources. The primary one are from oral interview, whereby people were interviewed especially people that have experience of drug abuse or people that were drug addicts and their close associates.

Secondly, books that were written on this topic and other relevant materials were used. It is very interesting to note that the books used helped immensely in giving the relevant information for this research. Texts were critically assessed and the relevant information were taken. In delivering the text the critical analytical method was applied.

1.7 Definition of Related Terms

The importance of definition of terms in any academic work cannot be over emphasized. It is therefore necessary to define some terms in this work.

Youth: Summer (2003:1920), defines youth as “the period of time when someone is young especially the period when someone is a teenager”. From Hornby (2000:1389), “youth is the time of life when a person is young, especially the time before a child becomes an adult”.

Drug: Hornby (2000:359), (1) “an illegal substance that some people smoke, inject, etc. to give them pleasant or exciting feelings”. (2) “a substance used as a medicine or used in a medicine”. Onah (1982:2) defines drug as “any chemical substance that has an effect upon the body or mind, by modifying one or more of the terms”.

Abuse: “It is the use of something in a way that is wrong or harmful” (Hornby,

2000:5)

Drug Abuse: Onah (1982:2), Sees it as “It is an excessive or inappropriate use of a drug by a person; such use being considered or judged to be illegal (immoral) by the culture and also resulting in harm to the person or society”. From Aka and Akunyili (2003:60), drug abuse refers to drug use mainly by self-medication in a manner that deviates from approved medical or social patterns”. Church: Alan (1950:46), explains that “Church is generally derived from Greek “Kuriakon” the Lord’s house, a building for Christian worship”. Church in New Testament is translated to Greek “ecclesia”, which always means an assembly of people and cannot mean building. For Davis (1944:111), “Church is the Lord’s house and an organized community or people acknowledging the Lord Jesus Christ as their Supreme Ruler, and meeting steadily or as opportunities offered, for religious worship”. Okwueze (2003:152), defines it as an organized body of followers of Jesus. In the context of this research work, church has to do with people and not building.

Therapy: For Summer (2003:483), “therapy is the treatment of an illness or injury”. Hornby (2000:1241), defined therapy as “the treatment of a physical problem or an illness”.

Alcohol: Hornby (2000:26), “Drinks such as beer, wine, etc that can make

people drunk or that colourless liquid that is found in drinks such as beer, wine

etc and is used in medicines, cleaning product, etc”.

Alcoholism: Royce (1989:10), “The use of alcohol that results or interferes with

personal life including school, job, family, friends, health, food, the law or

spiritual life”.

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Full Project – ASSESSMENT OF YOUTHS AND DRUG ABUSE IN NIGERIA: CHALLENGE FOR THE NIGERIAN CHURCHES

BIBLICAL THEOLOGY, SEMINARY & CRS RESEARCH PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS

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