ABSTRACT
Drugs have been used throughout the entire human history for a variety of reasons, such reasons as treatment, prevention and diagnosis of illnesses. The benefits derived from drugs prescribed by a physician and taken in accordance to prescriptions for outweigh the possible risks involved in their abuse. Drug is considered dangerous and unacceptable to the society when it is used for a purpose order that what is medically legitimate and create problems affecting the society by making their abuses behave abnormally, doing what they would not do if they were in their normal and natural state. This certainly affects the social and economic well being of the society.
The purpose of this study, which was to verify drug use among adolescents in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom has been realized and certain facts established. Such facts as influence of peer group and the need for self esteem enhancement. Most youths turn to drugs in seeking for escape from pain, fatique, anxiety, poverty, failure and frustrations, that there are well defined risks related to the abuse of drugs. Some drugs notably cocaine and amphetamines stimulate the central Nervous System (CNS), others such as Narcotics depress the action of the brain, that associated with drug abuse is the cause of high incidence of armed robbery and their forms of violent crimes for so long a time now in Nigeria, that excessive drug usage is the cause of many road accidents and the reason why there are so many mentally retarded youths in our society today.
Most our young ones sincerely ignore these potential dangers associated with drug abuse and contentedly consume a substantial amount of drugs as often as they wish. This research thus points out that all drugs are dangerous when taken overdose or illicitly, therefore, youths, and indeed people should not use drugs without medical prescription by a physician.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Young people develop contain habits for the save of acceptance in a group. They resort to dangerous habits such as smoking, alcoholism and drug taking for so many seasons such as; helping them to cope with the problems, fear and pressure of everyday life (brook et.al 2001). Some use drugs as s means of escape from realities in life, to reduce anxieties, out of curiosity, while some turn to it in a bid to challenge authority.Teenagers may be involved with legal or illegal drugs in various ways. Experimentation with drugs during adolescence is common. Unfortunately, teenagers often do not see the link between their actions today and the consequences tomorrow.
They also have a tendency to feel indestructible and immune to the problems that others experience. Using alcohol and tobacco at a young age increases the task of using other drugs late. Some teens will experiment and stop. Or continue to use occasionally, without significant problems. Others will develop a dependency or addition, often moving on to move dangerous drugs and causing significant harm to themselves and possibly others (Ibanga 2000).As Jones, 2006 observes, excessive use of drugs and alcohol work to the determent of important social institutions, such as schools and threaten the4 smooth functioning of our social system. It is a well established fact that smoking is injurious to health and extensive studies have shown that smokers have an increase risk of disability, illnesses and death from a number of diseases on conditions.