SUBSTANCE USE AMONGST STUDENTS OF COMMUNITY SECONDARY SCHOOL ALODE, ELEME LGA, RIVERS STATE.

This study aimed to examine the level of substance use amongst students of Community Secondary School Alode, Eleme LGA, Rivers state. Bandura's social learning theory underpins the study. The study population was 500 students, and a cross-sectional study designwas adopted. A stratified random sampling technique was utilized to get a total sample size of 222 secondary school students. A researcher structured Questionnaire was adapted from the Substance Use Assessment Scale instrument for the use of data collection. Data was analysed using the Statistical Product of Service Solution (SPSS) software, version 26. Descriptive statistics of frequencies and simple percentage was used to describe the demographic characteristics of respondents and mean was the statistics used for the data analysis. Findings show that the most abused substances were marijuana (mean score = 3.60, S.D =0.49) and methamphetamine (mean score= 3.60, S.D =0.49). The highest factor influencing substance abuse was mass media, having the highest mean score and standard deviation (mean score=3.31, S.D= 0.46). The highest effect of substance abuse on the academic achievements of students was "I don't read as before" (Mean score= 3.60, S.D=0.49). The study revealed that the students of this school heavily abuse addictive substances. The recommendations were that campaigns against substance use should be incorporated in health education curricula of secondary schools with special focus on the adverse consequences of substance used, all schools should set up guidance and counselling offices facilitated by professionals to counsel students who indulge in substance abuse, and parents and teachers should encourage students and be firm in ensuring that students do not take psychoactive substances. The parents should also ensure that they do not give so much money to their children and if they do so they should ensure that the money is put into constructive use.