PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF ODENIGBO MEDIA COVERAGE OF DRUG ABUSE AMONG ONITSHA RESIDENTS IN ANAMBRA STATE

5abuseandaddictsinNigeriashowsthattreatmenthasnotbeenleftaloneforthe government.Over the past few decades non-governmentalorganizations have respondedwithcomprehensivestrategiestotreatandrehabilitatedrug-addictsthrough a multi-disciplinary approach involving preventive education through awareness- creationactivities,research,training,treatment,rehabilitationandsocialreintegration. Massmediahavebeenamajoragentofsocializationand toolsforsocial changesasthe thepotentialpowerofthemassmediatohelpsolvesocialproblems cannotbe overemphasied..Mass media campaigns are a powerfulmeans for disseminating health promotion messages.A wide and diverse audience can be reachedthroughnewspapersandroadsideadvertisinghoardings.Forexample,mass mediamaycontributetoshapingpatternsofdruguseandtheintentiontousedrugs,as wellasmodifyingmediatorssuchasawareness,knowledgeandattitudesaboutdrugs ofdrugaddictionanddependence..Television,radioandprintadvertisingcanentice peopletobuyawiderangeofproductsandservices,andtelevisionentertainment programsandmoviesexertenormousinfluenceoverourideas,valuesandbehavior,it shouldbepossibletousemasscommunicationstogetpeopletoactonbehalfoftheir ownhealthandwell-beingorto“doright”byimportantsocialcauses.Anunderstanding ofperceptionandbehaviorsisthereforecrucialtothesuccessofaspecificcontrol measure.Therefore,thisstudyexaminespublicperceptionofOdenigboMediacoverage ofdrugabuseamongOnitsharesidentsinAnambraState 1.2StatementoftheProblem DrugabuseinNigeriainthecontemporarytimehasbecomeoneissuethatcast agloomyshadowtotheentireNigeriansociety.Nevertheless,theusageofdrugeither 6byyoungpeoplesorothermembersofthelargersocietyinallitsramificationsappears tobeasocialproblem.Thisproblem iswidelyspreadanditaffectallandsundry.In otherwords,thiswidespreaduseandabuseenticepeoplefrom allwalksoflifeand beyondthehumandestructioncausedbydrugdependenceisthedamagetotraditional valuesand lifestyles.Studieshavealso shownthatdrug abusewrecksindividual, shatterfamiliesandweakensentiresocietywithitsburdenofeconomiclooses,health costandincreasedlawlessnessandcrime.Also,drugsseem tounderminetheabilityof peopletolearn.Drugalsoappearstocontradictourvaluesofphysicalwellbeing.People experimentwithdrugsbecausetheyseem toholdthepromiseoffulfillment.Butthe fulfillmentis generallyelusive,greaterand greaterquantities are consumed and ultimatelythepersonsuffersbothphysicalandpsychologicaldeterioration.Thedrug abuseralso experience problems ofinteraction and this interactionalproblem is encounteredbothinsidehisimmediatefamilyandstressinvariablyiscreatedinthe familysituationofdrugabuse(Hoffman,1990). Toaddtothis,drugabusemayentailalotofsocialproblemsrangingfrom family neglect,deviantbehaviours,involvementincrimeetc(Earl2000).Intermsofeconomic cost,itincludesthemoremoneyrequiredtodealwiththeundesirableeffectsofthe drugabuse,thelessmoneyforservicesandprogrammesthatenhancesthequalityof life(Earl2000). Despitetheenormityandmagnitudeofthisproblem inthecontemporarytimes especiallylittle has been done in terms ofempiricalresearch with regard public perceptionofOdenigboMediacoverageofdrugabuseamongOnitsharesidentsin AnambraState.Thereistheneedtoknowviewsofmalesandfemalesontheissueof 7drugabuse,how youngerandolderpeopleperceivetheactofdrugabuseandhighly educatedandlesseducatedrespondentsperceivetheseriousnessofdrugabuse.Inthe lightoftheforegoingtherefore,thisstudytoexaminespublicperceptionofOdenigbo MediacoverageofdrugabuseamongOnitsharesidentsinAnambraState 1.3 Objectivesofthestudy Thegeneralobjectivesofthestudyaretoascertainexaminespublicperceptionof OdenigboMediacoverageofdrugabuseamongOnitsharesidentsinAnambraState. Specifically,thestudywill: 1.ascertainviewsofmalesandfemalesontheissueofOdenigboMediacoverage ofdrugabuseamongOnitsharesidents 2.determineperceptionofyoungerpeopleonOdenigboMediacoverageofdrug abuseamongOnitsharesidents 3.examineviewsofpeoplewhoareeducatedonOdenigboMediacoverageofdrug abuseamongOdenigboOnitshaFM listeners 4.ascertaintherelationshipbetweenOdenigboMediacoverageandperception OdenigboOnitshaFM listenersondrugabuse 1.4ResearchQuestions Thefollowingresearchquestionswereformulatedtoguidethestudy. 1.WhataretheviewsontheissueofOdenigboMediacoverageofdrugabuse amongOdenigboOnitshaFM listeners? 2 HowdopeopleperceiveOdenigboMediacoverageofdrugabuseamongOnitsha residents 3 How dopeoplewhoareeducatedperceiveOdenigboMediacoverageofdrug 8abuseOdenigboOnitshaFM listeners? 4 Whatistherelationship between Odenigbo Media coverageand perception OdenigboOnitshaFM listenersondrugabuse? 1.5ResearchHypotheses Basedontheobjectivesofthisstudy,thefollowingresearchhypothesesareformulated: Ho:Thereisasignificantdifferencebetweentheviewsofmalesandthoseof femalesontheissueofdrugabuseamongOnitsharesidents. Ho:Theviewsofolderandyoungerrespondentsarelikelytoberelatedonthe incidenceofdrugabuseamongOnitsharesidents. Ho:Theviewsofeducatedandlesseducatedrespondentsarenotpositivelyrelated onactofdrugabuseamongOnitsharesidents. 1.6Significanceofthestudy Thisstudyhaspracticalandtheoreticalsignificance.Thepracticalsignificanceofthis studyisthatitwillenablepolicymakersandgovernmentstoadoptafunctionalpolicy frameworkwhichwillplaypivotalrolesinthereductionofdrugabuse.Theresultsofthe studyshouldhelpincreatingawarenessinthesocietyonthegeneraleffectsofdrug abuseontheirhealthmostespeciallytheyouth.Itwillmaketheyouthstorealizethat excessiveorevensmallintakeofthisitem (drugs)hasinhibitoryeffectsontheirhealth. Theresultofthisofthisstudywillbeusedinmakingtheconsumerstohaveasecond thoughtbeforepartakingintheact.Thiswillgoalongwayinmodelingtheirbehavior whichthegeneralawarenesshascreated.Thestudywillgoalongwayinreducingthe numerousproblemsencounteredasaresultofthemisuseofdrugsortheintakeof harddrugs. 9Theoreticallyitwilladdtotheexistingbodyofknowledgeondrugabuse.Littleor noscientificstudieshavebeendoneinthislocalityasregardstodrugabuseeven thoughitsimpactsareundeniable.Thisstudywillalsofindoutsocietalperceptionsof drugabuseinthislocality. 1.7Scopeofthestudy ThisstudyfocusedonpublicperceptionofOdenigboMediacoverageofdrug abuseamongOnitsharesidentsinAnambraState.Thestudyisrestrictedtoascertain viewsofmalesandfemalesontheissueofdrugabuseamongOnitsharesidentsand howyoungerandpeopleperceivetheincidenceofdrugabuseamongOnitsharesidents. Thestudyalsocoverhowhighly-educatedandlesseducatedrespondentsperceivethe seriousnessofdrugabuseamongOnitsharesidents 1.8DefinitionofTerms Coverage:Theextenttowhichsomethingdealswithsomethingelse. Drugabuse:Drugabuseorsubstanceabusereferstotheuseofcertainchemicalsfor thepurposeofcreatingpleasurableeffectsonthebrain Influence:Thecapacitytohaveaneffectonthecharacter,development,orbehaviourof someoneorsomething,ortheeffectitself. Media:Themainmeansofmasscommunication(broadcasting,publishing,andthe internet)regardedcollectively Onitsharesidents:PeoplewholiveinOnitsha Perception:Thewayinwhichsomethingisregarded,understood,orinterpreted 10ChapterTwo LiteratureReview 2.1OverviewofDrugabuse Adrugisdefinedasanynaturalorartificialsubstance,otherthanfoodthatbyits chemicalorphysicalnaturealtersstructuresorfunctionsinthelivingorganization (Dorwick&Maline,2007).Itisalsodefinedaccordingtotheiruse;inpharmacology,asa chemicalsubstanceusedinthetreatment,cure,prevention,ordiagnosisofdiseaseor used to otherwiseenhancephysicalormentalwell-being.Psychoactivedrugsare chemicalsubstancesthataffectthefunctionofthenervoussystem,alteringperception, moodorconsciousness.Recreationaldrugsaredrugsthatarenotusedformedicinal purposes,butare instead used forpleasure.These include alcohol,nicotine and caffeine,aswellasothersubstancessuchasopiatesandamphetamines.Drugsare alsousedasfoodsupplementslikevitaminandwenecessarilybenefitfrom drugsin termsofillhealth,thoughprescribedbydoctors(Elizabeth,&Martin,2007).Onthe 11contrary,drugsareharmfulandfataliftheyareusedwrongly. Substancesanddrugabuseareusedinterchangeablybypeople,however,drug referstomedicineprescribedbydoctor,whilesubstancesabusemayincludechemicals otherthandrugse.ggasoline,glueamongothers.Substancewasconsideredabusedif itisdeliberatelyusedtoinducephysiologicalorpsychologicaleffectsforapurpose otherthanfortherapeuticpurpose.Farhadinasab,Bashirian,&Mahjoub,(2008)noted thatsubstance abuse mostly initiates with smoking and alcoholconsuming in adolescence.However,drugabuseamongstudentscouldbeasaresultofinteraction betweenthepeergroups,availabilityandnatureofthesubstance.Someenvironmental factorsthatcontributetodrugabusearecultural,parents’behavior,regulationsand policies,whichrestrictaccesstothedrugs. Transitionfrom childhoodtoadolescenceisadelicateperiodandinmanycasesthe initiatingofdrugabusemayoccur.Theadolescentsmayabusesubstancesdueto variousreasonssuchaslackofadequateknowledgeabouttheharmfuleffectsofthe substances,presentingpersonalindependence,peerpressure,satisfyingthecuriosity, low levelsofself-confidence,inabilityinmaintaininginter-personalcommunications, andreducingstress.Amongotherdependents,thepresenceofsubstanceabuserinthe familyaremajorfactorsofsubstanceabusebyadolescents.Thehealtheducatorhas nodoubtthatdrugandalcoholabuseamongsecondaryschoolstudentshavebecome amatterofconcerntoNigerians.Thesesubstancesnotonlyalterthefunctioningofthe bodyandmindbutalsoaffectthedimensionofhealth.However,Encomium magazine, (2013)statedthattheuseofillicitdrugsisnotanew trend,ratheritisgrowingatan alarming ratewithmore“leadersoftomorrow”embracing drug abuseforvarying 12reasons. Today,drugaddictionisoneofthevexingandpervasiveproblemsthatalmostall thecountrieshavefacedintheworldincludingNigeria.NAFDAC,(2008)reportedthat theabuseofillicitdrugsisformingastudentsub-cultureinNigeria.Theconsequenceof suchaddiction,abuse,traffickingorevencultivationcanbedevastating;unfortunately theyouthsarethemostvulnerableonharddrugsandthisbringsalotofadverse effectsonthecommunity(Ajibulu,2014).Thispapertherefore,wouldbefocusingon themenaceofdrugwiththefollowingsubheadings;classificationofdrug,commonly abuseddrug,healtheffects,determinants,interventionandimplicationfordruguse amongsecondaryschoolstudents. TypesofDrugAbuse Seven categories ofdrugs are classified according to theirphysiologicaleffects. However,mostpsychoactivedrugsfallintooneofthegeneralcategoriesintableone below.Thesearestimulants,narcotics,cannabis,depressants,analgesics,sedatives, performanceenhancingdrug,hallucinogensandinhalants.Thecommonnametheyare called,routeofadministrationandthepossibleeffectsareintableonebelow; 1.Stimulants Theprimaryuseofstimulantsistoincreasetheactivitiesofthecentralnervoussystem (CNS)withincreaseheartrate,bloodpressureandtherateofbrainfunction.Theusers feelupliftedandlessfatigue.Examplesofstimulantsincludecaffeine,cocaine,nicotine andamphetamine. a)Caffeine:Itisatastelessdrugfoundincoffee,tea,cocoa,manysoftdrinksand severalgroupsofoverthecounterdrugs(NationalCentreonAddictionandSubstance 13Abuse,2004).Moderateintakeofitisrelativelyharmlesstotheindividualhealth. However,chronicusersshowevidenceofwithdrawalandphysicaldependence. (b)Cocaine:Thisisaverystrongstimulant.Cocaineproducesafeelingofexcitement, increaseconfidenceandwillingnesstowork.Cocaineuseisontheincreaseamong studentsasitisperceivedasaconfirmationofone’sbigboystatus(Pike,2011). (c)Amphetamines:Theyareusedtoincreaseactivity,moodelevation,createseriesof wellbeingandalsosuppressappetite.Itimprovesphysicalandmentalperformance (Gupta&Ghai,2005).However,largedosesmayresultinanxiety,feelingofnervousand physicaltension. (d)Nicotine:Thisisapoisonousalkaloidderivedfrom tobaccoplant.Itisresponsible forthedependenceofregularsmokerson cigarettes.(Elizabeth & Martin,2007). Nicotineisintar,cigars,cigarettes,tobaccoandtraditionalsnuff.A smalldos