Assessment of Commonly Substance Abused and the Health Implications among Adolescent in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

Substance abuse among adolescents continues to be a major problem worldwide and Nigeria like other nations, continue to exhibit a low level of development to these effects. Many people at one time or the other have taken drugs without prescription by a Medical Personnel and often times for non-medical reasons. Primary data was collected using structured questionnaire from a sample of 190 adolescents aged 11 to19 years out of the 240 participants who have been abusing drugs for at least one year. Descriptive cross-sectional design used. Data obtained from the questionnaires was presented using frequencies, tables, percentages and analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 26.0. Data collected was presented using frequencies and charters and analyzed using correlation. The commonly abused substance by adolescents in Kano Metropolis shows that Tobacco, Amphetamines/Stimulants, Alcoholic/Beverage, Sedative/Solvent (Miscellaneous) i.e Petrol (gasoline) Perfume, glue, and rubber solution, Lizard excrete feces, Pit smoke, Gadagi local concoction and Gutter sand were the commonly substance mostly abused by adolescents in Kano Metropolis. Parents should try to give their children moral, spiritual, social, psychological, and financial support so as to guide them against peer and societal influences.