ABSTRACT
Many young people and the Nigerian society as a whole are affected by drug abuse. The purpose of this study was to find out the role of the Christianity in controlling drug abuse among the young people in Eldoret East Sub- County. To achieve this, the study sought to determine the level of awareness of the Christianity concerning drug abuse among the youth, to find out the effectiveness of the strategies adopted by churches in tackling drug abuse, and to investigate the level of involvement of the church with other sectors in tackling the vice. To realize this, the study adopted a descriptive survey design. Purposive sampling was used in the selection of the managers of Haven Recovery Centre and the pastors of Christianity from Eldoret East Sub- County. Random sampling was used in selecting the recovering drug addicts and the young people from the Christianityes. The total target population therefore was 1430. The total sample size obtained from this population was 423. Primary data was collected using both open ended and structured questionnaires. An interview guide was also used to collect data from the staff of Haven Recovery Centre. Secondary data was obtained from documented information from Haven Recovery Centre, the library and the internet. Qualitative data underwent content analysis while quantitative data consisted of measuring numerical value. Data was then preserved electronically and presented in the form of tables: in percentages and frequencies. Then, 80% of the respondents noted that the church was slightly aware of the reality of drug abuse, 60% wrote that the church was effective in tackling drug abuse in guiding, counseling and prayer, and that the church was involved mostly with parental associations at 42.8% in handling drug abuse among the youth. This implied that the church should be more interactive with other sectors, and also upgrade its level of awareness generally in orders to be more effective in its campaign against drug abuse. Finally, the study made recommendations for policy and further research in related fields.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Drugs are commonly used by everybody whether young or old. Drugs are not only useful for human beings; they are also useful for animals for good health. Human beings give drugs to their animals when they discovered that they are not healthy. Drug is an effective substance in the life of any living thing to cure sickness and to make life healthy. It is true that drugs are used for beneficent therapeutic purposes, effective substance for good health, but they are being abused by people especially youths. They use it illegally and unlawfully, thus it becomes harmful to the body. The impact of drug abuse among Nigerian youths has been considered a moral decadent. Drug abuse has made the face of the Nigerian youths rough and brought shame to our society. The Nigerian youths are deliberately using drugs illegally, unlawfully and intentionally. Many of our youths ignorantly or knowingly depend on one drug or the other for their daily activities. According to the statistics provided by World Health Organization (WHO), drug including alcohol and tobacco, have caused a lot of road accidents and have claimed more lives than other sicknesses suffered by mankind. As International Drug Trafficking is gaining strength, the international cooperation against drug trafficking is steadily losing strength and lacking organization. The report from world narcotics has shown that confiscation level has fallen below 10 percent of the global circulation level of drug international mortality figures for drug abuse have tripled since 1988. In the United States, medical emergencies coming from cocaine taken rose by 1000 percent between 1976-1993, in the case of the heroine by 6 percent from 1988-1993 and by 155 percent in the case of cannabis. Cocaine addicts between the age of 12 and 17 increased by 166 percent from 1994-1995 in various countries. Drugs are being abused every day. In Nigeria, this issue of drug abuse has been a serious concern for the society. Youths have taken to drug abuse. In recent times, the rate at which youths abuse drugs have been so alarming and worrisome that much effort have been made to eradicate it. Alcohol has many usage and contrasting connotations. A glass of wine with a meal can symbolize Love, friendship, relaxation and enjoyment of a special occasion. It can represent romance, coming of age, success, beginnings and endings, good news and good company. At a Christian Eucharist or Jewish Passover, where wine is also shared, thanks are given to God for divine salvation from all that were enslaved, restricted and condemned. In drinking the wine, Christians participate with the first disciples in their Last Supper with Christ, and Jews participate with the ancient Hebrews in their exodus from enslavement in Egypt. In African tradition, wine is used to portray a relationship and communion between the living human and ancestors, deities and other supernatural entities. This is evidence in covenant establishment, oath taking, daily ritual of libation, burial and institution of shrines and altars. Also in marriage ceremonies, the usage of alcoholic wine is indispensible even against the vehement opposition of Pentecostal churches in Africa with Nigeria as typical example. Ekwe (2000) stated that apart from water and wind, wine is another integral and indispensible part of African life and living. The presence is felt in almost all the activities of African customs and traditions ranging from burials, rituals, marriages, oath takings, covenant establishments, meetings, hospitalities, evening relaxation to all forms of their daily activities.
Unfortunately, the sacredness and redemptiveness of these occasions contrast with the association of alcohol with drunken violence in our towns and cities, cirrhosis of the liver on our medical wards, debts in families, death on our roads and numbers of fights in families. It contrasts more especially with the enslavement, which is alcoholism or alcohol addiction. This contrasting nature of alcoholic drink is clearly revealed in different chapters and verses of the Hebrew Scripture, the Old Testament. Serious warnings were placed on the need to avoid addiction and lust towards alcoholic wine. At some instances, some people were strictly warned not to taste alcoholic wine or partake in meals that have connection with alcohol. For instance, Nazarites like Samson in Judges 13:7, Princes in Proverbs 31:4 and the Rechabite family in Jeremiah 35 were in this category. The book of Proverbs 23:29-35 pointed out and analyze the state, condition and ordeals of an alcoholic drinker and the problem of addiction even in this contemporary era.
1.2 Statement of the problem
Drug abuse among the youth in Nigeria has become a serious problem. Addiction to drugs leads many people, young people prominent among them, into hopelessness that in some cases ends in despair, (NDLEA, 2005). The problem is prevalent in Nigeria. It ranges from glue sniffing street children and teenage ecstasy users to hardcore marijuana and cocaine addicts. This poses a threat to their own health and safety, while creating difficulties for their families and the public at large. If left unchecked, the problem threatens to adversely affect the younger generation by slowing down the country’s economic development, lowering academic standards among students and domestic violence among others. The church’s role as outlined in the Holy Bible is not just concentrated on the spiritual well- being of the people in the community. Jesus himself cared for the people he ministered to, making sure to feed them, heal them and even raise the dead. A lot of research related to alcohol and substance abuse among the youth has been carried out from a non- religious perspective by both individuals and institutions. This descriptive survey study was therefore conducted from a religious perspective for the purpose of bridging this gap. It sought to investigate how well the Christianity is doing in not only caring for the spiritual needs of the people, but how well it is doing in handling the problem of alcohol and substance abuse among people.
1.3 Objectives of the Study.
The overall objective was to determine the contribution of the Christianity in controlling alcohol and substance abuse among people.
1.3.1 Specific Objectives
The study was guided by the following specific objectives to:
i. determine the level of awareness of the Christianity concerning alcohol and substance abuse
ii. find out the effectiveness of the strategies the Christianity had put in place in tackling alcohol and substance abuse
iii. investigate the level of involvement of the Christianity with other sectors in tackling alcohol and substance
1.4 Research Questions
i. What is the level of awareness of the Christianity concerning alcohol and substance abuse?
ii. What is the effectiveness of the strategies of the Christianity in handling alcohol and substance abuse?
iii. What is the level of involvement by the Christianity with other sectors in handling alcohol and substance abuse?
1.5 Scope of the Study
Although the study focused on young people of all ages, the emphasis was on young people in Akure who had been affected by the vice. The study area consisted churches which were easily accessible. It also included the churches’ recovery centre, and which was also located in Akure. The recovery center was selected for investigation because of the period of time it had existed, the sizeable number of young people who had gone through the facility, the level of documentation and follow up programs.
1.6 Limitation of the Study
There was an oversensitivity occasioned by the very nature of the study. Some respondents were not cooperative, resulting in withholding of some vital data. The study also identified difficulty in obtaining reliable data from young people who were devastated by drug abuse.
1.7 Significance of Study
It is believed that at the completion of the study, the findings will be of great importance to the religious organizations; churches, mosque and other religious body to revisit the norms of their beliefs and help spreading awareness on the dangers of drug abuse and alcoholic on the health and well-being of the citizens.
The study will also be of great benefit to psychiatric and rehabilitation homes as the findings will help them educate their patient on the dangers of alcoholism and drugs to their mental well-being. The study will also be of importance to researcher who intends to carry out study in similar topic as the study will serve as a reference point. Finally, the study will be of significance to academia, student, teachers, lecturers and the general public as the findings will also contribute to the pool of knowledge.
1.8 Definition of Terms
Alcoholism
Alcoholism, also known as alcohol use disorder (AUD), is a broad term for any drinking of alcohol that results in mental or physical health problems. It was previously divided into two types: alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence
Drug abuses
Drug abuse, is a patterned use of a drug in which the user consumes the substance in amounts or with methods which are harmful to themselves or others, and is a form of substance-related disorder. Widely differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, medical and criminal justice contexts
Christianity
An Abrahamic monotheistic religion basedonthe life and teachings of Jesus Christ, who serves as the focal point for the religion. It is the world’s largest religion, with over 2.4 billion followers, or 33% of the global population, known as Christians. Christians make up a majority of the population in 158 countries and territories