Predictors of Drug use in a Student Population: Risk Perception and Experienced Effect of Drug use in Nigeria

Abstract

The increase in the use of psychoactive drugs among students has reached proportions that require empirical intervention. Against this background, it was decided to study the predictors of drug use in a student population. The cross-sectional study involved 434 participants who were purposively selected. Their ages ranged from 16 to 39 years, with an average age of 22.12 years (SD = 4.05).  Three standardized instruments were used in the study: Drug Use Identification Screening Test (DUDIT), Experienced Effects of Drug Use Scale and Perception of Risks Scale. The study employed a systematic data collection procedure and used statistical tools to analyze the study objectives, such as reliability analyses, descriptive analyses, correlation coefficients and multiple regressions. The results indicate that students who reported a high perception of risk used drugs less than students with a low perception of risk, while students who reported positive experiences of drug use used drugs more than students with negative experiences of drug use. According to the findings, it is recommended that drug use prevention programs should focus on students’ risk perception and positive experiences. To make these efforts more effective, schools should promote extracurricular activities and offer academic incentives to students who consistently abstain from drug use over time. By doing so, schoolwork can become more interesting and captivating, enhancing the overall quality of tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Ultimately, this approach can help systematically win the war against drug use and abuse among young people in the country.