Factors Influencing the Prevalence of Substance Abuse Among Undergraduate students in Nigeria Universities

Abstract

This study examines the reasons behind the continued rise in substance abuse among students in Nigerian Universities, with focus on Nasarawa State University. Keffi and Kaduna State University. Kaduna.University students seems more susceptible to substance use amongst different youth groups in Nigeria because most of them live outside the watch of their parents or guardians. Hence, the motivation for an empirical study on the prevalence of substance abuse amongst students. The study adds to the existing empirical literature on factors influencing the prevalence of substance abuse among students.The specific objectives are to: ascertain if the class status of students influence their involvement in substance abuse, establishthe relationship between age and substance abuse amongst others. Personally administered questionnaires were used to collect the primary data for the study. A total of39Oquestionnairs, at 5% level of error. Findings revealed thatage can influence substance abuse as data indicates a significant influence of substance abuse amongst the youthful age. The differential association theory was adopted to help us understand if the problem of substance abuse is a learned issue in the social environ. It was concluded that, the quest for substance abuse is embedded in the social learning process. Amongst the recommendation was that there is a need for government to intensify its campaigns on the dangers that comes with substance abuse in our tertiary institutions.