Causes-Effects of Drug Abuse:implications For Social Studies Teaching
Posted: Thursday, June 24, 2010
by Rahaman Onike
CHAPTER ONE
Background to the Study
The efforts to fight drug abuse have become a dominant political, economic, health and social phenomenon in recent times. Ironically, there has not been any overt indication that the efforts have been fruitful in preventing and totally eradicating the malaise.
Drug abuse is a problem that cuts across age, political, social and economic barriers. Drugs of abuse are chemical substances that exert a mood-altering effects on the brain and which are capable of producing addiction. They are abused for the feelings they produce. Drug use commonly begins in adolescence, usually with nicotine from cigarettes and often progresses from nicotine to the use of alcohol and illicit drugs.
Social studies as a dynamic and problem solving discipline has drug education as one of the emerging areas of study. Drug education intends to expose the learners to uses, abuse and contraindication of drugs. Social studies being an integrated discipline which derives its curriculum contents from many educational curricula encourages teaching and learning of drug issues, abuse, addiction and its health implications.
CHAPTER TWO
Review of Related Literature
The earlier studies that are relevant to this research are reviewed based on the below sub-headings:
(1) Theories on Drug Abuse
(2) Concept of Drug Abuse
(3) Causes of Drug Abuse
(4) Effects of Drug Abuse
(5) Control and Management of Drug Abuse
(6) Implications of Drug Abuse for social studies teaching.
Theories of Drug Abuse
The relevant theories to be reviewed are sociological theory, social process theory and gate-way theory.
Sociological Theory of Drug Abuse
Kaplan (1996) explains that sociological theory understand substance abuse as a societal phenomenon, having largely cultural, social and economic origins or ties. Such causes are often external to the individual, that is, they are not biological, genetic or psychological traits possessed by them. Sociological theory utilizes broader and often more abstract phenomenon and concepts to explain drug use and abuse. Sociological theory often identifies how social problems such as poverty, inequality and social disorganizations explain the prevalence of drug use and abuse in society.
Social Process Theory
Social process according to Robbins (2000) is a theory focusing on how people or groups become involved with drugs and how their involvement change over time, and what might initiate the change. Process theory is developmental in the sense that they identify key factors over a period of time, one demarcated by social boundaries and meanings leading to drug related behaviours and consequences.
Gateway Theory of Drug Abuse
The gateway theory states that neighbourhood plays bigger role in slide into hard-drugs and drug abuse. The place where one lives in social company drug abusers keep are other predisposing factors.
Concept of Drug Abuse
Drug abuse is referred to as intake of drugs by an individual as way of medication, over does of the prescribed drug given by medical personnel or taking drugs on an individuals personal interest or influence by some groups of people (Adegbite 2003). Indeed, the term drug abuse is used to indicate excessiveness and frequent consumption of drugs regardless of whether an individual is depending on it or not. Drug abuse often lead to drug addiction. Drug abuse is used as a defense coping mechanism.
Ademola (1980) was of the opinion that the commonly abused drugs are sedatives, barbiturates, amphetamine, valium, cocaine, marijuana etc. drugs of abuse are either natural or synthetic drugs. Natural drugs are derived from plant leaves, barks or roots while synthetic are manufactured through industrial process. There are addictive and non addictive drugs.
Causes of Drug Abuse
The below are some of the reasons why individual abuse the use of drug:
(a) Poor medical knowledge and awareness : Several drug abusers are ignorant of the risks associated with unauthorized drug intake. Lack of adequate knowledge of the consequences of drug abuse could be a predisposing factor (Orija 1999).
(b) Psychological influence: The urge to surpress tension, ill-feelings, emotional disturbances, stress and phobic attitudes could predispose individuals to drug abuse.
(c) Societal problems : This is a circumstance when individual is faced with the challenge of economic hardship, rapid growth of technology and industrialization, urbanization and family problems. These societal problems could lead to drug abuse.
(d) Peer group influence: The type of friend individual associate and relate with could lead one to partake in drug abuse.
Effects of Drug Abuse
Drug abuse can obviously lead to drug dependence (John 1979). The state of drug dependence could be psychic or physical resulting from the interaction a person and drug, characterized by behavioural and irresistible urge to take the drug on continuous basis.
Drug abuse can lead to nervous problem, neurotic and other health hazards. According to Klafs (1999) drug abuse can cause physiological damages to the body. Internal organs could be equally affected by drug and substance abuse. Moreover, complaints of indiscipline's in the schools are attributable to drug abuse.
Drug abuse could result in mental illness the consequence of which may be drop-out of school. Drug abuse in a desperate efforts to terminate unwanted pregnancies can result into sudden heaths. Abuse of drug could cause decline in the societal moral and cultural values. Joel et al (1987) reports that violent tendencies are associated with drug abuse. According to them, abuse of drugs affects a person's physical and emotional conditions or both. Some drugs can even change mood and behaviour. Erikson (2000) states that drug abuse can lead to poor performance of the learner in the school.
Control and Management of Drug Abuse
Emerole and Komolafe (2003) emphasize the roles of Parents control and prevention of drug abuse.
Parents are to expose and re-orientate their wards on the effects of drug abuse. Teachers/counselors in the school are to support the campaign against drug abuse in Nigerian society.
The media has roles to play in creating public awareness of consequences of drug abuse. Government through instructional process should teach drug issues in the school curriculum.
Implications of drug Abuse for Social Studies Teaching
Social studies helps to develop morals, attitude and behaviours. The nature of social studies is such that accommodates emerging issues in education like drug abuse. Social studies as an integrated discipline could by its methodical foundation teaches drug education (Fageyinbo 2007).
Social studies as a problem solving discipline by its objectives could teach drug related issues and problems. Social studies ensures changes in behavior and attitudes of the learners. By teaching drug abuse as an emerging area of study in social studies, the learners are stimulated to make intelligent social decisions. Social studies by its social, psychological, philosophical and disciplinary foundations could help the learner to develop right attitude towards the use of drugs (Ogundare 2002).
.
Recommendations
The below are hereby recommended as a panacea to the problem of drug abuse among secondary school adolescents:
(1) Government should ban indiscriminate sales and use of drugs in the country
(2) There should be instructional emphasis on drug abuse in social studies curriculum
(3) Media intensification of public enlightment and campaign against drug abuse should be sustained.
(4) Parents are to watch and monitor their wards to guide against undue influence of friends on their attitude towards the use of unauthorized drugs.
REFERENCES
Kaplan A.S. 91996) Social Psychology: London, Oxford University Press.
Robbins A. (2000) Introduction to Psychology: New York, Longman Publishers
Adegbite O.A. (2003) The Roles of Women in Curbing Drug Abuse among Nigerian Youths in Ismaila B.R. et al (eds) Problems in Nigeria, a Special Publication of School of Arts and Social Sciences, Federal College of Education Special Oyo.
Orija F. (1999) Issues in Helath Education: Lagos, Evans Publishers.
John M.A. (1979) Social Learning and Personality Development: New York, Prentice Hall.
Erikson E.H. (2000) Effects of Drug use and Abuse: American Journal of Medicine Vol 57, April 11, pp 67 70.
Joel T.A. et al (1989) Abnormal Psychology: London, Longman Publishers.
Emerole E.N. and M.D. Komolafe (2003) Drug Abuse among Children 0 Causes, Effects and Solution in Ismaila B.R. et al (eds.) problems in Nigeria- A Special Publication of School of Arts and Social Sciences, Federal College of Education Special Oyo.
Fageyinbo S.A. (2007) Topics in Social Studies Lagos, Vantage Publishers.
Ogundare S.F. (2002) Foundations of Social Studies: Oyo, Odumalt Publishers.
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