WE LIVE WITH IT! ECOLOGICAL EXPLANATION OF SUBSTANCE CONSUMPTION IN RURAL AND SLUMMY METROPOLIS

Abstract

Substance intake and abuse have eaten deep into every nook and craning of the society we live with devastating effects. The risky behaviours attributed to teenagers are excessive intake of alcohol, sedatives, depressants, and other psychoactive substances which affects the central nervous system (CNS). Teenagers living or exposed to disadvantaged environments are more likely to get involved in “hard” drugs, such as cocaine and are also more likely to take marijuana while in school. However, societal affluence does not always protect against and may increase the risk of substance use among youth. Therefore, the study examined the nexus between substance consumption and location and identify the social and cultural factors influencing substance consumption. Differential Association, Structural Strain, and Rational Choice theories were used to explain how the linkages between culture, society and substance intake. This is a survey of black spots in Bariga and Badagry areas of Lagos State as they represent clusters of substance abusers. Forty and about twenty black spots were selected from Bariga and Badagry with ten respondents from each of these spots. The study found that locations do not determine the intake of substance among youth. Socio-economic status is no indicator of the habit of abusing a substance. However, certain cultural practices allow the consumption of substances within their practice. Policies needed to be formulated to reduce the incidences of substance abuse. Movies and music clips encouraging substance use should be banned and the entertainers should be sanctioned appropriately.