Drug abuse among secondary school students in Sokoto, Nigeria

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Periodical article

Title:	Drug abuse among secondary school students in Sokoto, Nigeria
Authors:	Akpala, C.O. Bolaji, I.B.O.
Year:	1990
Periodical:	Psychopathologie africaine
Volume:	23
Issue:	2
Pages:	197-204
Language:	English
Geographic terms:	Nigeria Northern Nigeria
Subjects:	pupils drug use
Abstract:	To assess the extent and nature of the abuse of psychoactive drugs among the youth in Sokoto, Nigeria, 400 questionnaires were administered on a sample of secondary school students. The prevalence of drug abuse was found to be 38 percent, with a higher preponderance among male students (74 percent) than among female students (26 percent). The percentage of drug abusers increased from 32 percent among students aged 10-14 to a peak of 46 percent among those aged 20-24 years. By the age of sixteen, 82 percent of the students had abused at least one drug, most commonly cigarettes. The significance of these findings and strategies for the control of drug abuse among youth are discussed. Bibliogr., sum. also in French.