Drug Abuse: 6 Factors Parents, Teachers, Pastors Must Watch

By Cami Ezenwa

The issue of drug abuse is increasingly a big problem in Nigeria, and as parents, teachers, pastors or youth leaders, there are certain key things to note.

We cannot say we don’t know and thereby fail in our jobs, because the one who gave those children in our care will ask questions.

By way background, there are indication that not less than 20million Nigerian youths from age 15 admitting to having used drugs at least once.

The issue now is, what are the motivations for this costly indulgence of Nigerian youths?

This article, gleaning from a number of sources, provides 5 factors driving Nigerian youths into drug abuse:

1. Social Pressure

Social pressures are real for most teenagers. Within the circle of friends, there is a sort of competition which sometimes could be misplaced. So-called popular boys become role models, and it becomes easy to pick bad behaviours –including drug abuse – common with such role models.

2. Low Self Esteem

Low self-esteem is identified as one of the major factors that drive young ones into drug abuse. The problem is said to be especially pronounced amongst girls. When girls come from modest backgrounds, they are usually not able to measure up with their peers in terms of what they wear, the schools they attend, and even the kind of things they eat. Many begin to talk less in such groups, because there is nothing really elevating of their status to talk about. Some begin to seek solace elsewhere, and usually indulgence in drugs become an option.

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3. Lack Of Parental Guidance

One of the tragedies of our modern time is that many parents hardly have time for their wards. So-called efforts to make ends meet force a lot of parents to keep double jobs, leave home early and return late.

Some indeed leave the proper upbringing of the children to maids and sometimes the television. In fact, there are many parents who feel that once they are able to provide entertainment outlets for the children, they could junket to Jerusalem.

4. Negative Friends

It can never be overstated that parents should take time out to find out who their children relate with. Unfortunately, this is not possible where parents and guardians tend to be very busy. A parent who has time for his or her wards would obviously take interest in the kind of people such youths relate with. such way, it is easy to pick out who and who the youth should be wary of.

5. Lack of Communication

How very well a parent could communicate with the child is a function of hwo much time he or she is able to make out with them. This is not to undermine the reality of the tight schedule that many adults run these days. However, the future of the child should rank top in the priority list of parents, such that they would make out that time needed to properly mould them. Communicating with the youth in this context, is beyond, just asking glibly: how was school today.

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Sometimes, a child would draw close to a parent, yet unable to utter anything. Most seek an opportunity which could only come with reciprocal interest in the current mood of that child.

Lack of communication is therefore a considerable factor youths get exposed to drug sbuse.

6. Family Without Value System

The truth of the matter is that every value has a value system. Such should actually be made clear to the children of the house. If for example, you do not want a particular individual as role model for your children with very tangible reasons, make that clear to them.

Without forcing anything, point out the dangers in certain lifestyles likely to take the children off their right courses. Values like honesty, obedience, hardwork, and communalism for example, should be instilled in children early enough, such that even when parents are not with them, they could still hold their own.

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These six factors may not be the only drivers of our youths to drug abuse, but they are certainly part of them. It is for individual parents to create more time, and be more alert for the signs, so they could begin their fight early enough.