WELCOME TO KENTERPRO:
PREVALENCE OF DRUGS ABUSE AMONG STUDENTS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT IN PLATEAU SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, BASSA

 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background to the Study

Health is the degree of a living thing’s metabolic or utilitarian effectiveness. It is the overall condition of a person’s head, body, and spirit, usually intended to be free from illness, damage, or misery. It is not merely the absence of disease or illness; it is a condition of whole physical, mental, and social well-being. The phrase “mental health” refers to a state of prosperity in which each person is aware of his or her own unique potential, is able to cope with everyday difficulties, and is capable to committing to their own neighborhood. (WHO, 2016). 

Drug refers to any substance that has the ability to change biological function through its synthetic properties. Drug is any physical substance or the material from which anything is formed, but in recent years, the term has also come to refer to any chemical, whether it be a solid, liquid, or gas, that has the ability to alter one’s mental state. (Sexton, 2015). It is also regarded as a drug that alters perception, cognition, mood, behavior, and basic bodily processes. (Balogun, 2016). Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of an entity, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefits. Abuse can come in many ways or forms, such as physical or verbally maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes or other types of aggression. Abuse also encompasses inappropriate use of any substance, especially those that alter consciousness (e.g. alcohol, cocaine and methamphetamine).         

Drug abuse, commonly referred to as substance abuse, is the use of drugs for purposes other than those prescribed by a doctor, which has a detrimental impact on the user’s social, cognitive, or physical well-being. (Kuria, 2016). The use of drugs, alcohol, or other chemicals, such as inhalants, in excess, inappropriately, or illegally is known as drug abuse, especially when it leads to addiction. An individual’s increased propensity to argue with friends, instructors, and school officials may be a sign of social impacts. Cognitive impacts include memory loss and a person’s inability to focus on their academic work. Drugs can be categorized in a variety of ways, including by chemical composition and specific effects on different organ systems. Drugs are typically divided into psychoactive and non-psychoactive categories. Non-psychoactive pharmaceuticals include vitamins, antibiotics, and other substances that ordinarily do not directly influence the brain. Narcotics, analgesics (morphine, codeine, heroin), stimulants of the central nervous system (amphetamine, cocaine, nicotine, caffeine), hallucinogens, cannabis sativa, and other psychoactive substances all have an impact on brain function, mood, and behavior.

An increasing number of young people are engaging in unhealthy behaviors like drinking, smoking, and using illegal drugs. Across the globe, drug misuse is a serious public health issue, according to the United Nations office on drugs and crime (UNODC, 2005). One of the most alarming health-related trends in Nigeria and other areas of the world is adolescent drug usage. (NDLEA, 1998). However, when a user violates the law, as well as other societal values and standards, several issues arise. Numerous teenagers struggle with their mental health, either on a short-term or long-term basis. Some lose their minds, fail to adapt to school life, and eventually leave school. The use is linked to hazardous behavior and practices such family problems, rape and trafficking, armed robbery, prostitution, and mental disorders like anxiety, psychosis, and sadness. People continue to enjoy using it despite all of these known negative effects (Barry, 2014), yet the common consensus is that drug usage is necessary for motivation, intoxication, and appropriate performance in both physical and social settings. Others similarly hold the philosophical conviction that it inspires beautiful ideas and thoughts in them. Others claimed it is a conservation oil, which implies that when consumed, it gives users the ability to speak clearly and meaningfully or sensibly, allowing some users to escape their problems and sufferings.

            Drug is a very potent substance created from many grains and herbs and a combination of potent compounds. It has been discovered to bring instability to the workplace and poor academic performance of adolescents as a result of an increase in intake. It has a very dangerous short-term effect and changes quickly. Although there is no evidence provided, according to Boris (2014), drug usage can play or serve a substantial function in interpersonal interactions that take place on a daily basis. Many drug users, meanwhile, go beyond what is considered moderate. Drug addiction adversely affects a person’s health and social functioning, as well as the user’s family, friends, and coworkers, as well as society at large. This condition appears to be based on an underlining psychological dysfunction. Swagger (2014), identify the havoc cause by excessive drug abuse. According to him, it has broken homes, murdered more people, made people to starve their children, stated more wars, wreck careers and even lives of persons with hearing impairment.

According to Cummins (2009) Hearing impairment is an umbrella term which covers both hearing impaired and hard of hearing. A hearing impaired person is one whose sense of hearing is not useful with the aid of prosthesis such as hearing aid. Impairment in hearing occur in either or both, areas and many exist in only one or in both ears. Generally, only children whose hearing loss is greater than 90 decibels (db) are considered deaf and those with 30 decibels are of hard of hearing (Hindley & Kitson, 2010). Guwan (2012) spelt out the symptoms notice when one is having hearing loss as; turning head to the source of sound, corking the ear, excessive concentration on vision, constant request for repetition of speech, confuse about directions and inability to respond when sound is from the ear. As a result of these symptoms, they cannot hear at normal levels. They cannot easily understand what is being said to them in every situation and therefore cannot always respond with confidence.

The prevalence and severity of drug and alcohol use, abuse, and its associated problems in adolescents and young adults varies by diverse factors such as gender, race, ethnicity, sexual minority status, homelessness, and disability status. Young people who belong to some diverse communities are at higher risk than their nondiverse peers to use drugs and alcohol and, thus, to go on to develop a substance use disorder (Green, Ennett, & Ringwalt, 2017). Individuals with hearing impairment are one such high-risk group. The alarming evidence in the prevalence of drug abuse among youths, the effects and consequences of substance abuse among adolescents has called for concern and challenge to schools to mount strategies of equipping adolescents with skills of living devoid of substance abuse. Therefore, the study seeks assess the prevalence of drug abuse among students with hearing impairment in Plateau School for the Deaf, Bassa.

• Statement of the Problem

            This study investigated by the increasing use and abuse of drug among adolescents in secondary schools in Plateau State. Drug abuse and its impacts in the family and adolescents are relevant to the present trends of events, which are noticed to be increasingly growing as been found to bring different kind of hazard to both individual group and the community as a result of an increase intake. However, among students with hearing loss impairment, very little factual knowledge is available to gauge the extent and severity of substance use, abuse, and their correlates. It is to that the researcher pick interest to find out the prevalence of drug abuse among students with hearing impairment in Plateau School for the Deaf, Bassa.

• Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence of drugs abuse among students with hearing impairment in Plateau School for the Deaf, Bassa. The specific objective of the study is:

1. To determine the extent drug abuse influences academic performance of students with hearing impairment in Plateau School for the Deaf, Bassa
2. To examine the extent to which peer pressure influences drug abuse among students with hearing impairment in Plateau School for the Deaf, Bassa
3. To profer ways of curbing drug abuse among students with hearing impairment in Plateau School for the Deaf, Bassa

1.4       Research Questions

1. What is the influence of drug abuse on the academic performance of students with hearing impairment in Plateau School for the Deaf, Bassa?
2. To what extent has peer pressure influenced drug abuse among students with hearing impairment in Plateau School for the Deaf, Bassa?
3. What are the ways of curbing drug abuse among students with hearing impairment in Plateau School for the Deaf, Bassa?

1.5       Scope of the Study

The study will be focused on the prevalence of drugs abuse among students with hearing impairment. The study will be confined to students with hearing impairment in Plateau School for the Deaf, Bassa.

• Significance of the Study

The study will contribute in addressing the issue related to problem of drug abuse on the family, youth, educational researchers and Administrators

This study would help to educate students with hearing impairment on the dangers of drug abuse and also help parents to identify factors responsible for drug abuse among their wards.

The study will provide researchers information for further studies. More importantly the study will come up with some suggested programs. That when put into consideration, the problem of drug abuse affecting the youths will be brought to the bearest minimum.

The study will further contribute the knowledge discovered in existing relevant literature in the field thereby enabling government and non-government agencies to find possible solutions to drug abuse.

The study will be useful to policy makers on how to reduce the circulation of drugs that are easily abuse.

1.7       Operational Definition of Terms

Drug: Can define as any substance which is used for treatment or prevention of disease in man and animals. Drugs alter the body function either positively or negatively depending on the body composition of the user.

Abuse: Is the improper usage or treatment of an entity, often to unfairly gain benefit.

Mental health: A person’s condition with regard to their psychological, social and emotional well being

Hearing Impaired: This implies the inability of an individual to hear sounds adequately

Students with hearing impairment: These are students that has loss their sense of hearing who are taught in a special school.