BAYERO UNIVERSITY KANO

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY, FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

CRM 4305: DRUG STUDIES AND CONTROL

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

QUESTION: CRITICALLY EXAMINE THE PHENOMENON OF DRUG AND

SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN NORTHERN NIGERIA: CAUSES, TRENDS, PATTERNS,
MANIFESTATION AND REMEDIES.

BY

ABUBAKAR ALHASSAN ABUBAKAR

FSS/18/CRM/00007

SUBMITTED TO

DR. ABDULLAHI K/ NA'ISA

 ABSTRACT

Drug is any chemical or substance that affects the functioning of living things and the organisms
(such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses) that infect them. Drug is any chemical substance that when
consumed causes a change in an organism's physiology, including its psychology, if applicable. r
substance abuse refers to the use of certain chemicals for the purpose of creating pleasurable
effects on the brain. There are over 190 million drug users around the world and the problem has
been increasing at alarming rates, especially among young adults under the age of 30. Substance
abuse is more trending in northern Nigeria that substance use in Northern Nigeria was found to
be 12.0% in the North-west zone 13.6% in the north-east zone and 10.0% in the north-central
zone. The peak levels of drug use in the past year was reported among individual aged 25-39
years with at least 1 in 5 people suffering from a substance use disorder. This menace is due to
some cases as peer influence,promotion and availability of drugs, lack of parental supervision,
unemployment etc Substance abuse manifest to negative effect on the abusers. Such effect
includes health effect, psychological and economic effect etc. Moreover, with this menace
therefore, there is a need to put measures in place that will serve as remedies to the menace of
substance abuse in northern Nigeria.

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Drug and Substance Abuse

Drug is any chemical or substance that affects the functioning of living things and the organisms
(such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses) that infect them. Drug is any chemical substance that when
consumed causes a change in an organism's physiology, including its psychology, if applicable.
Drugs are typically distinguished from food and other substances that provide nutritional
support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalation, injection, smoking, ingestion, absorption
via a patch on the skin, suppository, or dissolution under the tongue. Drug abuse or substance
abuse refers to the use of certain chemicals for the purpose of creating pleasurable effects on the
brain. There are over 190 million drug users around the world and the problem has been
increasing at alarming rates, especially among young adults under the age of 30. The menace of
substance abuse has been a subject of concern globally, particularly in developing nations where
socio-economic challenges exacerbate the problem (Ahmed, 2012). The historical roots of drug
abuse can be traced to the intersection of societal pressures, accessibility of drugs, and a lack of
stringent enforcement policies. Drug abuse was initially associated with adult populations in
most African nations; however, the past two decades have witnessed a significant shift towards
the younger demographic (Adebayo et el, 2021). Drug abuse used to be at its highest in
Northern Nigeria in terms of seizures and consumption. The states in the northwest that
presented the highest were Jigawa and Kano state with a seizure of 3 million bottles of benylin
cough syrup (12, 13) but from the data presented by UNODC (2017), the Southern region has the
highest consumption rate. According to UNODC (2018) shows that, the prevalence of substance
use in Northern Nigeria was found to be 12.0% in the North-west zone 13.6% in the north-east
zone and 10.0% in the north-central zone. The peak levels of drug use in the past year was
reported among individual aged 25-39 years with at least 1 in 5 people suffering from a
substance use disorder. Gabriel et al, estimated that 4.7%, that is 4.6 million people, used opioid
such as tramadol, morphine, and codeine for a non-medical purpose. Substance abuse manifeste
to negative health conditions the abusers. Substance abuse seems to be a major problem that
affect their human creativity, mental capability and productive human potentials. Other problems
associated with drug abuse include personality changes like aggressive behaviour, loss of
productivity, loss of job, developing diseases related to particular drugs in question and
sometimes death due to overdose Dambazau (1996).

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However, according to Kendell et all (2008) purported that, people who use Cocaine over
extended periods of time have higher rates of infection, heart disturbance, internal bleeding,
hypertension, cardiac arrest, stroke and other neurological and cardiovascular disorder than non-
users. Those problems may develop gradually as cocaine use continues; some users experience
the problems after single dose. Intravenous cocaine users who share contaminated needle and
syringe are also at risk for AIDS. The negative manifestations on the widespread use of some
substance do provide sufficient ground for countries to work together to devised and implement
control. some causes death, illness, and some breakdown in social relations which are closely
associated with at least some types of drug taking, Bru'un eta l (1975:3). Drug abuse plays a
negative roles in many social activities, such as drunk driving, violence, depression, child abuse,
prostitution, mental disability on the individuals that abuse drugs. Drug abuse in our society has
becom a major problem to our societal stability due to its availability that make it reached nearly
every corner of civilization.

Causes of Substance Abuse

However, the major causes for abuse of substance by in northern Nigeria may include the
following amongst others:

Peer Group: The peer group is second only to the parents in socializing the child. Parents and
peer group seem to extent almost equal importance by the time children are well grown up into
adolescence. Thus, the peer group provides the developing child with a broad range of
behaviours and cultural and sub-cultural values meanwhile a peer group is a group compose of
individual who are equals (Morrish 1972). Accounts for why youth take and abuse drugs, some
may reason thus if grown up take pills, use tobacco and get drunk, why should I not enjoy myself
smoking marijuana or take drugs? They imagine that drugs are keys to enjoying life more fully.
An individual in group which favours preponderance of definitions that favour the illegal or
deviant behavior. Sine such groups also are likely to have access to supplies, there is a high
probability that individual will experiment with drugs and ultimately become a drug abuser.
There being integrated into a group in which drug use is approved is one of the strongest factors
leading youths into illegal drugs.

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For Intoxication: According to (Ekpo, 2007) youth in Nigeria especially in Northern part abuse
drugs to change or alter the way they feel to feel happier or better, to avoid pains stress or
frustration. They want to forget or to remember, to be accepted or be sociable sometimes to
escape from burden or just to satisfy curiosity. However, in the long run, people who abuse drugs
in the hope of solving one problem or the other run the risk of getting trapped in a spiral of
increasing drug use that created new problems and finally leads to drugs dependence which
worsens already worse situation.

Social Structure: The particular factor is associated with relentless harshness of life. In this case,
life itself is one big hell of hand ball to kick. Academic frustration, rivalry, poverty, family
problem, inherent physical deformities, widening gap between the rich and the poor make life
one long stretch of mental future. Hence, to summon up courage to face such situations and the
task ahead, youth find solutions in smoking, drug taking of all sorts on the firm conviction that
these drugs provide euphoria release, great spur and a monetary escape from reality because of
this, taking drugs becomes a habit to face life. Also, the social structure is a factor exposing
students to drug abuse by creating institutional goals and means of attaining these goals without
creating equal opportunities for everyone in the society to attain these goals thereby causing
some to deviate into creating their own means and sometimes their own goals.

The Mass Media: Evidence abounds that children, youths who watch a lot of television
programmes learn to rely on stereotypes of the various groups presented by the media. These
children then transfer what they have learned from television to real life situations. This, if the
stereotype was presented and always watched by a child favours drugs taking the child will
imbibe the culture of drug taking.

Environment: A person's environment plays a significant role in developing addiction, from

family dynamics and peer pressure to culture and social media. A person whose friends engage
in drug use and abuse is far more likely to do the same. In fact, more than any other factor, this is
considered the biggest risk factor for addiction. If a person lives in a community where drug use
and abuse is prevalent, they will be more likely to fall into it themselves.

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Frustration: When people are easily frustrated, they tend to use drugs as a way to cope instead of
healthier methods. Studies have shown that sensitivity to frustration correlates with relapse
among those with substance use disorders.

Inadequate Security Outfits: security issues can be related to several factors which include illicit
drug usage, poor parenting style, peer pressure, poor. Role modeling, corrupt and incompetent
security personnel's and poor medical facilities to help abusers.

Poor Child Socialization: Woodward et al, (1999) as cited in Adebiyi, A. O. et al., (2008) in a
longitudinal study found that children who are at the age of nine, had problems with peer
relationships as measured by peer rejection, social isolation and incompetence were up to nine
times more likely to use substance by the age of 18 than those students with fewest peer
interaction problems.

Trends of Substance Abuse

Prevalence rate, patterns and accessibility of drugs among Nigerian from the record of
Substance Abuse in Nigeria, the North West has a statistics of 37-47 percent of the drug victims
in the country, while the South-West has been rated second with 17.32 percent, the South East
is been rated third with 13.5 percent, North Central has 11.71 percent, while the North
East Zone has 8.54 percent of the drug users in the country. (Akannam, 2008). In Nigeria
the estimated life time consumption of cannabis among the population is 10.8 percent, followed
by psychotropic substances like benzodiapines and amphetamine type stimulants 10.6 percent,
heroine 1.6 percent, and cocaine 1.4 percent in both urban and rural areas. Drug use and
Abuse appear to be common among males with 94.2 percent than females 5.8 percent and
the age of first use is 10 to 29 years. The use of volatile organic solvents is 0.53
percent, and is widely spread among the street children, in youth’s and women. Multiple
drug use happen nationwide with 7.88 percent varying degree (UNODC 2007). The
Accessibility of these drugs are so easy in Nigeria society. They are variously found in motor-
parks, streets corners, joints on campuses, uncompleted buildings, under flyovers. From
Ring Road outlets in Benin City, Ajegule in Lagos, Mabush in Abuja, under flyover in Onitsha
will astonish you of the undergraduates and teaming youth’s involved in the intake of cannibas
and other drugs (Abudu 2008).

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Patterns of Substance Abuse in Northern Nigeria

Patterns of substance abuse in northern Nigeria are cannabis, inhalant like solution or glue and
cough syrup etc. The commonest abused substancel is cannabis (83.7%). Cannabis remains the
most abused and trafficked drug worldwide. This could be because it is cheap and easily
cultivated as compared to other drugs . A few respondents abuse cocaine (8.31%) and heroin
(7.6%), these drugs are not readily available, and they are imported. For prescription drugs,
cough syrup (30.1%) was the leading drug, followed by tramadol (25.2%) and rohypnol (23.8%).
Three million bottles of benylin cough syrup were seized in two northwest states (Jigawa and
Kano state) in 2008 (Susan et al, 2022).This study further suggested that solution (45.2%) is the
most abused on the street in the northern region, followed by madaran sukudaye (14%) and cow
dung (13.4%). These substances have been mentioned in a few literatures to be prevalent in the
study area [16-20]. Madaran sukudaye is a local drink made with formalin. Solution is glue that
is inhaled by drug abusers inorder to get high. For cow dung, no documented report, but the
abuse of lizard dung and tail, toilet effluent, gutter has been reported in the media. This was the
observation made by Jatau et al. (2021). The north - central zone was reported to have a high
prevalence use of cannabis, cough syrups and opioid as tramadol, codeine and morphine
(UNODC, 2018). A study in the north central Nigeria found cannabis to be the most abused
substance among prisoners (Armaya'u and Perez, 2016). While according to Dankani (2012) in a
study conducted in five Northwestern states, results revealed that majority of the respondents
(60%) had been taking cough syrup for a period of 3 - 5 years.

Manifestation of Substance Abuse

The manifestation effect of substance abuse on the lives of individuals and the community is
worrisome. Substance abuse is a major threat to human development, as it affect all the aspects
of life adversely. It leads to deterioration in both physical and mental health. Frequent I'll - health
associated with the abuse substances leads to absenteeism and poor concentration at work, which
in turn leads to diminished productivity. The negative effect of substance abuse was also
reported to have resulted in several offences. Nearly one quarter of individual with a high risk
substance use were arrested for drug related offences, with majority(73℅) arrested for drug
possession, 12% theft, % sex workers and 4% burglary crime (UNODC, 2018). Other effect of
substance abuse are of the following. Such as:

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Insanity/Death: Drug abuse has disgraced and degraded our youths to the lowest ebb. It is quite
obvious that most of the Nigerian youths that are insane today were drug addicts. In Nigeria, the
numbers of youths that are insane are more than that of old people. Not only that they are mad
because of drug abuse but they are dying of it. Many of our youths are school dropouts because
they have gone mad due to the drugs they abuse.

Psychological Trauma: Excessive alcohol and drug use sends your nervous system into disarray,
rewires your brain, and causes inflammation .Long-term SUD may affect a persons memory,
behavior, learning, consciousness, and concentration.

Increases Crime Instability: In recent years, drug-related crimes have become an increasingly
serious problem in many communities across the country. Drug use and drug trafficking can lead
to a range of consequences, from physical and mental health issues to financial and legal
problems. They can also have a significant impact on the safety and security of communities,
leading to higher crime rates and increased levels of violence.

Political Instability: Political stability is impacted by drug trafficking as drug operators corrupt
top officials in industry, business, and government. The wealth of the drug cartels gives them
power to influence politicians whose status and influence depends on money. Such corruption
undermines the credibility of governments and impairs the ability of politicians and bureaucrats
to define and defend "the national interests" adequately. In addition, it contributes to the
development of cynicism and increased tolerance for corruption, both of which are dangerous;
consequently, drug corruption undermines political security.

Socio-Cultural Instability: The ripple effects of drug abuse are felt deeply within the social and
cultural dynamics of communities, often leading to increased crime rates, strained familial
relationships, and the erosion of community cohesion.

Economic Instability: Regarding negative economic impacts, drug abuse contributes to loss of
productivity due to addiction, rehabilitation, and incarceration. It also increases the cost of health
care. Further, studies show that coca and cocaine not only cause inflation by introducing a huge
monetary mass into the economy, they also raise the price of goods and services in coca-growing
parts of the countries concerned. Drug operations, especially production and trafficking, have a
strong impact on some economies, generating a high percentage of the gross national product.

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Deaths by Drug Overdose: Drugs can relieve pain and cause feelings of pleasure. But they are
also dangerous. At high doses, drugs can disrupt essential body functions, leading to overdose. In
2013, poisoning (largely due to drug overdose) overtook motor vehicle accidents as the leading
cause of preventable death in the United States. Its not just people with substance use disorders
who are at risk. Anyone can overdose including first-time and occasional users. But overdoses
dont have to be fatal. And they can be prevented altogether.

Remedies for Substance Abuse

There is need for a shift from present drug war strategies that emphasis on eradicating the
production and distribution of illicit substances without achieving commensurate value of the
money spent to addressing the problems, and without looking at the Factors that encourage
people to do drugs.

Substance addict should be given priority in treatment and should not be seen as persons without
morals and treated as criminal, but as people with psychological problems that need help.

There should be an urgent needs to discourage substance abuse through intensified public
awareness campaign that will provide information directly to parents and the public on the grave
danger of substance abuse to the nation.

Parents should monitor the person their children mingle with to prevent them from joining bad
gangs. It is also important that parents routinely check potential hiding places of substance by
their children.

The government should make concerted efforts to train professional health care providers or
counsellors who will handle substance abuse cases.

There is need for constructive measures and mentoring programs to provide a strong
environment for youths to reject any form of substance abuse and provide benefit across a wide
array of indicators, such as school performance and self-esteem.

There is need for a coordinated approach through community involvement in the formulation of
a drug control policy as most of the youths involved in the abuse of drugs live within the
communities.

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Both State and Local government should develop a partnership with civil society and other non
governmental organization, in order to create public awareness by way of advocacy in all
communities about the magnitude danger of drug abuse and its adverse implication on peaceful
coexistence in communities.

Government at all levels should establish youth development centres where vocational training,
counselling and basic treatment for drug abuse are provided before referral to secondary or
tertiary facilities, which the communities should own.

Death penalty should be prescribe to any body engage into drug dealers and suppliers, so that to
serve as a deterrence to other drug vendors as.well as foreign drug producers.

and trafficking, the penalty should be made equal with their profits because profits made by
drug deals for exceed the risk thus making them involve themselves.

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