Socialization And Drug Abuse Among Youths In Nigeria
Terungwa Mpem, Stephen Terver Anyo, Evlyn Member Nyajoh
Keywords: NDLEA, drug abuse, crime, poverty, cannabis
Abstract
Drug abuse is a major challenge because of its negative consequences on the health of the individual, the family and the nation. The menace of drugs or substance abuse among youth in Nigeria is a social time bomb that will explode and affect the socio-economic and political foundation of the Nigeria state. Youth are the future of the Nigerian state, but most of them have destroyed themselves as a result of indulgence in drug abuse, thus becoming unproductive and a burden to the Nigerian state. This paper examines the influence of socialization on drug or substance abuse among Nigeria youths. The study used Edwin Sutherland theory of social learning to analyze why the youths engage in drug abuse. The study findings established that the youths are socialized into drug-substance abuse through copying from other family members, poor and inconsistent discipline from parents, peer influence and association with drug or substance addicts. The study concludes that drug or substance abuse has many negative consequences on the physiological, psychological and social behaviours of youth. It affects the family and the society at large. Thus, the study recommends that to fight the menace of drug-substance abuse in Nigeria, concerted efforts should be put in place through relevant agencies, like NAFDAC, NDLEA, Nigeria police and the federal and state ministries of health to control the abuse of drugs or substances among youth.
Author Biography
Terungwa Mpem, Stephen Terver Anyo, Evlyn Member Nyajoh
Department of Sociology, Benue State University, Makurdi
termpemd@gmail.com, stevieanyo@gmail.com, memberevlynb@gmail.com