SUBSTANCE ABUSE AMONG UNIVERSITY OF BENIN STUDENTS

ABSTRACT

Substance abuse is a significant challenge affecting individuals' health and society at large. The widespread use of substances among university students is a significant global public health concern, especially among Nigerian undergraduates. The study assessed the prevalence of substance abuse, commonly abused substances and reasons for substance use among undergraduate students at the University of Benin. This was a cross-sectional study of the University of Benin, Benin City undergraduate students. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select respondents. The data collection tool was a structured self-administered questionnaire. Data analysis used Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27. Statistical significance was set at p-value <0.05. The study's sample size was 520, and the response rate was 100%. The mean age of the respondents was 21+2.35 SD. The lifetime prevalence of substance use was 79.8%, as 415 out of 520 respondents had used substances at least once in their lifetime. The 12-month and 30-day prevalence of substance use were 77.3% and 51.9% respectively. Alcohol 415 (79.8%), cannabis 181(34.8%) and tobacco 74(17%) were the most commonly used substances. Other substances abused were Amphetamine/Stimulants, Opiates, Sedatives, Hallucinogens, Cocaine, and Aerosol/Inhalants. The sex of the respondents (p<0.001), the faculty of the respondent(p<0.001) and the level of the respondent(p=0.001) had statistically significant associations with the lifetime use of substances. At the same time, curiosity 278 (67.0%), enjoyment 50(12.0%) and acceptance by others 21 (5.0%) were the most common reasons given for first-time substance use. ix In conclusion, there was a high prevalence of substance abuse among the students, with the most commonly abused substance being alcohol and curiosity and enjoyment being possible reasons for substance abuse among the students.