Alcohol has been an important part of our society and culture for many centuries. People of all ages across Africa have an intimate relationship with alcohol, with perceived positive as well as negative effects in the short and longer term. Alcohol is said to be the most widely used and abused drug in the world today mostly among the adolescence.
CHAPTER 15: Adolescents’ Demographic Profiles and Relationships in the Susceptibility to Drug Use and Sexual Abuse by Iboro F. A. Ottu
One of the most central and ongoing concerns of society is how to help adolescents overcome their transition between childhood and adulthood. This is as a result of the psychosocial complexities surrounding the adolescent at this stage of life. As captured by Martin, Carlson and Buskist (2007), adolescence, which emerged from a Latin source “adolescere” means “to grow into adulthood”
CHAPTER 16: Drug Use and Dating Violence among University Undergraduates by Emeh A. Udoh, Enwongo A. Okediji, Okokon O. Umoh & Nsidibe A. Usoro
Violence in dating relationships is a widespread problem on campuses (Murray & Kardatzke, 2007). Research reveals that 29% of 8666 students surveyed in a study involving 31 universities in 16 countries had physically assaulted a dating partner in the past one year (Straus, 2004). According to Shook, Gerrity et al. (2000) between 80% and 90% of students abused their dating
CHAPTER 17: The “War On Drugs” in West Africa: An Appraisal by Participants of West Africa Executive Course on Human Rights and Drug Policy, Legon, Ghana by Okokon O. Umoh, Kwadwo Appiagyei Atua, Maria-Goretti Ane, Samuel Molokwu, Charlotte O. Kwakye-Nuako, Chinwike Okereke, Abigail Gyimah, Ediomo-Ubong Nelson, Gloria Karuri, Ateiza S. Adabeneg
Introduction West Africa (a sub-region with sixteen countries) has an estimated population of 350 million young people, with a growing annual Gross Domestic Product rate of 5 .89% over the past ten years (ECOWAS,2011). Halfofwest Africans live on less than 1.25 USD per day and 3 5% live in the urban areas. Though the growing population of the sub-region could
Chapter 25 – THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA IN DRUG ABUSE CONTROL: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF FOUR NIGERIAN NEWSPAPERS by Chris O. Okwudishu
Introduction The mass media have become important socializing agents that help to create and shape attitudes, values, behaviours and perceptions of social reality. Tan describes the influence of the mass media in the acquisition of these response tendencies as social effects which can be learned. He stresses the importance of social learning theory to mass communication arguing that many of
Chapter 26 – FOLKLORE OF ALCOHOLISM, ALCOHOL DRINKING AND DRUNKENESS by J. O. Ojoade and A. B. Ojoade
Introduction Alcoholism is sometimes described as the excessive drinking itself, to the extent that it is marked by a lack of control. Note that alcoholism is not only a behaviour but also it is a medical or psychiatric problem. We do well to distinguish alcoholism from mere drunkenness, in which the element of compulsion or addiction is absent.
Chapter 24 – IS A BAN ON SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES THE ANSWER TO THE UNHEALTHY HABIT? by C. I. G. Orjioke and C. C- Asadu
Introduction Smoking has been extensively shown to be an unhealthy habit accounting for at least 2.5 million deaths each year. For this, cigarette advertising was completely banned in Britain in 1965‘ and by the Dutch Parliament in 1987 which included a ban on smoking, in public buildings. Nigeria in 1990 joined these other countries by banning, smoking in public places
Chapter 23 – THE NATURE AND PROBLEM OF MENTAL HOSPITALIZATION OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSERS by Gray Goziem Ejikome
Introduction Mental illness is a multi-factorial problem for it can be organic, drug-induced, psychologically or socially based. The understanding that there are cultural and psycho-social processes that are involved in the problem of mental illness and that the problem may require social and emotional approaches has led to the inclusion of social work and psychological methods of treatment in psychiatric
Chapter 22 – DRUG ABUSE IN NIGERIA: NATURE, EXTENT, POLICY FORMULATION AND ROLE OF THE NATIONAL DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY (NDLEA) by A. O. Odejide
Introduction The history of drug abuse in Nigeria is a catalogue of changes brought about by such factors as the civil war, unexpected oil boom that followed with its sudden increase in Gross National Product (GNP) and rapid socio—economic changes and urbanisation which also led to disintegration of the family social network, and increase in drug availability. Now the country
Chapter 21 – RUNNING A DRUG REHABILITATION CENTRE by Jack B. Yali
Introduction In addressing this topic, I will want to look at why it is necessary to rehabilitate someone who abuses alcohol or drugs in the first place. How is a rehabilitation centre like the one we have — Our Lady of Victory Rehabilitation Centre, Sabon Gida Kanar– run? What problems do we encounter and what are our prospects. It is