African Journal of Alcohol and Drug Abuse (AJADA)
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The Brain Remembers: Trauma-imprinted pathways to substance use
Full text linkThere is growing recognition of the strong connection between childhood trauma and substance use. While substance use has many causes, trauma, especially during childhood, places an individual at significantly higher risk of developing a substance use disorder later in life. Trauma can alter how the brain’s reward centres function, making individuals more vulnerable to substance use as a coping mechanism
Knowledge and prevalence of substance and drug abuse among secondary school students in a sub-urban area in Nigeria
Full text linkDrug and substance abuse is a menace and has negative effects on individuals, families, societies, and nations. Its prevalence has been reported in different regions of the world and efforts are being geared to address it. Nigeria has witnessed the prevalence of drug abuse also in the recent years. However, most studies have been conducted in urban areas. Few studies have been undertaken in the semi-urban and rural areas. This study aims to study the prevalence of drug abuse in a sub-urban area that has neighbouring rural areas. The specific objectives are to assess the knowledge about, awareness, and use of, substance and drug of abuse among secondary students in these areas. The study is a descriptive survey of secondary school students in two selected secondary schools in Ipetumodu. Simple random sampling was employed for selecting the schools and convenience sampling was used for participant selection. A validated semi-structured questionnaire retrieved from 94 respondents out of the 102 administered questionnaires was used to obtain data from respondents. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results revealed alcohol as the most known (58%), most seen (58%) and most used (15%). Morphine (5.3%) and pentazocine (5.3%) are the least known drugs and are also the least seen (4.3%). Additionally, the study showed that there is a significant association between the class level of the students and the most known, most seen, and most used – alcohol. Substantial knowledge of substances and drugs being abused exists among secondary school students in the sub-urban area, with alcohol being the most known and seen. Controlled drugs, like morphine and pentazocine, are rarely known or seen. The use of substances and drugs of abuse among secondary students should be kept low and reduced. A multi-disciplinary approach to counselling students is recommended.
Gendered pathways and responsive interventions to curb substance use among Women
Full text linkWhile substance use has historically been more prevalent among men, recent data indicate an upward trend in drug use among women. This brief explores the unique factors influencing women’s substance use, including sociocultural pressures, gender targeted marketing, and the influence of intimate partners. It also highlights systemic gaps in treatment, such as the lack of gender responsive services. It calls for urgent, individualized, and trauma-responsive approaches to prevention and rehabilitation tailored to women’s distinct needs. Globally, substance use has traditionally exhibited higher prevalence among men. However, the gender gap is narrowing, with a notable increase in substance use among women over the past few decades (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime [UNODC], 2024). In Kenya, recent data from the Status of Drugs and Substance Use among University Students (NACADA, 2024) indicate that 23.9% of female students reported drug use, compared to 28.8% of male students—a margin of just 5%. These figures reveal an urgent need to re-examine gender dynamics in substance use prevention and treatmen
Addressing drug and substance use among university students in Kenya
Full text linkDrug and substance use among university students in Kenya is a growing public health crisis, with studies indicating alarming prevalence rates. A recent study has shown that 45.6% of students reported lifetime use of drugs and substances of abuse; 25% were current users; and another 1 in every 12 students were struggling with addiction. Alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and prescription drugs (e.g., codeine, morphine) were the most commonly abused substances, with ease of accessibility both on and off campuses exacerbating the problem. Risk factors included peer pressure,stress, financial freedom, and prolonged waiting periods before university admission. This policy brief highlights key findings, identifies gaps in current interventions, and proposes evidence-based recommendations to mitigate substance abuse among Kenyan university students
Addressing emerging drugs and substance abuse among university students in Kenya
Full text linkThe availability and accessibility of emerging drugs including cannabis edibles, vaping products, and prescription opioids among Kenyan university students have reached alarming levels. The study on the status of drugs and substance abuse among university students in Kenya explored the students’ perception on availability and accessibility of emerging trends. Findings revealed that 47.6% of students can access cannabis edibles, while 61.7% reported that smoked cannabis was readily available. Alcohol (87.3%) and cigarettes (64.4%) were the most accessible substances, but emerging trends in the abuse of morphine and nicotine pouches (30.7%) are gaining traction.This brief examines the drivers of this crisis, analyzes gaps in current policies, and proposes evidence-based interventions to curb the proliferation of these substances in the institutions of higher learning
Self-Esteem, attitudes towards alcohol and other substance use among undergraduate students in Nairobi, Kenya: A sex- disaggregated cross-sectional analysis
Full text linkThis study examined the relationship between self-esteem and attitudes toward alcohol and other substance use (ASU) among undergraduate students in Nairobi, Kenya, focusing on sex differences. Studies across Africa have shown a high rate of ASU among university students due to the normalization of alcohol consumption and the accessibility of drugs. We analyzed data from 406 undergraduate students (51% male), with an average age of 19 years, at a public university in Nairobi. Alcohol and substance use were measured using the Assessment of Smoking and Substance Involvement Test (ASSIST), self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg scale, and attitudes toward alcohol were assessed using the Attitudes Towards Alcohol scale. Sex disaggregated, modified Poisson regression models estimated the relative risk of ASU associated with covariates (self-esteem and attitudes towards alcohol use) as the primary explanatory variables of interest. Each per-point increase in social ease reduced the risk of current alcohol use by 17% in females and 18% in males. Living at home or in private residences consistently increased the risk of ASU for both sexes. These findings underscore the influence of social and contextual factors on ASU and highlight the need for university based prevention strategies to inform the ASU-related attitudes among students
Burden of drugs and substance abuse among university students in Kenya
No full textDrugs and substance use among university students has been recognized as a global public health issue. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to drugs and substance use (DSU) including addiction.This study sought to determine the burden of DSU among university students in Kenya. The study utilized a cross-sectional study design covering a representative sample of 17 public and private universities in Kenya. A total of 15,678 respondents were interviewed. Data showed that 54.2% of the students were male and 45.2% were female while 0.6% did not state their sex. Accordingly, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and khat were the most available and accessible substances within the university and in the neighbourhood. Cannabis was the most commonly accessible narcotic drug with an emerging trend in the availability of cannabis edibles. The findings also showed a new trend in the availability of emerging psychoactive substances within the university environment particularly methamphetamine, prescription drugs, codeine syrup, ecstasy/ gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB)/lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)/ psychedelics, ketamine, and morphine. The findings also showed that 45.6% of university students had used at least one drug or substance of abuse in their lifetime. Analysis on past month use showed that 26.6% of university students were currently using at least one drug or substance of abuse. Findings on individual drugs showed that alcohol was the most widely used substance with a past month prevalence of 18.6% followed by tobacco (12.0%), cannabis (10.7%), khat (10.2%), inhalants (4.3%), prescription drugs (2.2%), heroin (1.7%), cocaine (1.6%), codeine (1.4%), methamphetamine (1.4%), ecstasy/ GHB/ LSD/ psychedelics (1.3%) and ketamine (0.1%). Findings also showed a high burden for severe alcohol use disorders (8.7%) among university students. The study therefore concluded that universities in Kenya were not drug free environments and a three-pronged intervention strategy focusing on the university management, parents and students was recommended
Exploring factors enabling the use of drugs and alcohol among upper secondary school pupils in Ndola District, Copper-belt Province, Zambia
Full text link Drugs and alcohol abuse is a major social and public health concern worldwide. It poses a huge burden on health care systems and affects the educational achievements of young people. Worldwide, the abuse of drugs and alcohol among young people in the general population remains higher than that of older people. In sub-Saharan Africa, substance abuse among young people has continued to be a serious public health concern. Similarly, in Zambia, the increased cases of drugs and alcohol abuse among school-going children have equally become a major social and public health concern. This study explored factors enabling the use of drugs and alcohol among upper secondary school pupils. A mixed method research design was adopted for this study. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected using structured and semi-structured questionnaires respectively. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics while qualitative data was analyzed using thematic approach. The study revealed that peer pressure, lack of parental guidance, stress, social media influence and accessibility of cheap drugs and alcohol were the major factors enabling the use of drugs and alcohol among pupils. The study underscores the need to engage and raise awareness on the negative impact of drugs and alcohol use among upper secondary pupils in Zambia.
Socio-demographic correlates of psychoactive substance consumption among secondary school adolescents in a remote district of Buhweju, Uganda Adolescents in a Remote District of Buhweju, Uganda
No full textConsumption of psychoactive substances remains one of the hot-button debate of the 21st century. Many puzzles regarding consumption of psychoactive substances have been captioned in the correlates of the phenomenon. The purpose of the study was to establish the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and psychoactive drug use. The data was collected using a Self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire. The data collected was processed and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS V. 27). Logistic Regression was the main data analysis technique. The study was conducted among 08 randomly and purposively selected schools in Buhweju District. The study population was secondary school students. 350 students were recruited for the study. The response was by filling out the questionnaire. It was established that students affiliated with the Anglican religion exhibited higher odds of psychoactive drug use, as compared to their counterparts in the Roman Catholic Religion, (OR = 1.6; 95% CI = 1.00, 2.4, p = 0.049). The results were significant. No observation of peers consuming psychoactive substances also demonstrated elevated odds of engaging in psychoactive drug use (OR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.19, 2.9, p = 0.006), indicating unique and varying risk factors among students. Students affiliated with the Anglican dominion had higher odds of consumption of the psychoactive substances, as compared to other dominions. Observation of peers who consumed the substances was on a significant risk for consumption of such substances.
Tackling illicit drugs and substance use and addictions in Nigeria: The social cognitive model as a more effective alternative for rehabilitation
Full text linkIllicit drug use and substance abuse among Nigerian youth is on the rise. Among the highly abused drugs and substances are codeine, cannabis opioid, methamphetamine, tramadol, morphine, cocaine, paints, and super glue. Substance abuse has been known to be associated with increased incidences of mental health issues, prevalence of sexually transmitted healthy lifestyle or health-seeking behavior. Given the strong socio-cultural and highly communal context of Nigerian society, which is highly embedded in strong family and religious ties, the social cognitive model (SCM) for behavioral change offers a more resilient framework for an effective health promotion intervention against illicit drug and substance use. This article proposes and discusses the feasibility of a health promotion intervention based on the SCM of health behavioral change