SUBSTANCE USE AMONG OUT OF SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS IN BWARI AREA COUNCIL OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY ABUJA

This study examined substance use among out of school adolescents in Bwari area council of the federal capital territory Abuja. Substance use among youths of Bwari has become quite widespread. In the municipal drugs consumption has been increasing dramatically over the last 18 to 20 years. There is an increasing incidence of drugs related motor vehicle accidents among youths. Drowning and disease such as cancer of the month, oesophagus and pharynx are some of the consequences of alcohol and other related drug abuse by adolescent of Bwari Council of the Federal Capital Territory. Social Learning theory is used to guide the research assumption.. The researcher used survey design, employed quantitative techniques in which structured questions was used to collect information from the respondents. Simple Random sampling technique was used to select 382 respondents out of the total population study area. Equally, simple percentage and frequency tables were used to analysed the data quantitative. The results indicated that peer influence/peer pressure, experimental curiosity, poor parental supervision/lack of parental care, availability of drugs, frustration and emotional stress are the major causes of drug abuse among out of school youth of the study area. The study also found that tramadol oral tablets, codeine, diazepam, heroin and cannabis are the major drug abuse among youth in the study area. Findings also revealed that drug abuse lead to loss of life, results in loss of job and school dropouts, make youth turn into political thugs, result in defective personality and social disorganization as well as drug abusers are a risk of getting chronic diseases like cancer, trauma, etc. Thus, the study recommended that there should be joint patrol between the police and the NDLEA officials in the study area to fetch out the drug addicts thereby reducing the rate of crime in the area since substance abuse results to increase in crime, especially among youths.