CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Drugs are useful substances in nature when used correctly but becomes harmful, hazardous and psychoactive when taken in excess or ways that are not prescribed.  (Zipporahet al ,2018). Drug abuse is the consumption of illegal drugs or the use of prescribed drugs in ways other than intended like overdosing and it also involves the intentional inhalation of household or industrial chemicals in order to alter the normal functioning of the body and brain. (Healthgrade,2021). Drug use refers to any scope or use of illegal drugs in ways that are contrary to medical prescription. When a drug is constantly used it leads to dependency- syndrome; –  it is a cluster of physiological, behavioral and cognitive phenomenon in which the use of a substance or a class of substances which is taken on a higher priority for a given individual than other behaviors that once had greater value. (Pallipedia)

In spite of all research and efforts put in place to manage the prevalence, drug abuse remains a major public health problem for centuries today, in the world today, the young who are known to be the future of tomorrow and the hope of the new generation are instead the ones who are greatly involve in drug abuse and drug use and to this effect productivity is affected while an increase in the crime wave is experienced in the nations of the world (Vanish, 2018). According to (Vanish, 2018), youths who are the supposed leaders of tomorrow and positive influence both to the developing and developed countries in the world meant to explore and exploit the resources of the earth have deviated their attention to drugs and spend less or no time on self- developing activities but give in most or all of their time hunting and researching the trending drugs to be consumed. Drug abuse is a social ill which affects not only those involve in the activity but also those around them become victims and prey to them, some examples of their misconduct are rape cases, theft, killing, vandalizing, disrespect and breech of laws. The use of these substances in the society knows no limits and sprays like wild fire irrespective of borders, race, color, sex or age. According to (Zipporahet al ,2018), the use of drugs like; alcohol, marijuana, cigarette, tobacco, cocaine, tramadol, morphine, some chemical and industrial substances which are psychoactive makes up the most delicate public health problems which are difficult to be properly managed. With respect to report from the National Center for Health statistics (NCHS) in the United States of America, drug related death since early 1999 to 2020. In 1999, about 20,000 related deaths were recording while in 2020, 92,000 persons died from drug abuse and overdose from prescription opiates and illicit drugs. (CDC WONDER).

Drug abuse is a worldwide problem therefore Africa is not an exception. In spite of the challenges faced by African countries, there is still a drastic rise in the level of drug abuse. Most parents in Africa do their best to ensure that children have a moral self -built in them so as to be useful to their families, countries and the world at large, they enroll their children to schools and to workshops in other to keep them occupied as they spend time learning what will help them in future rather than ideal around doing nothing, contrarily, Increase in the rate of drug Abuse in Africa is as a result of parental contribution in most families, parents spend most of their time in drinking spots drinking and smoking and it doesn’t just end there some of them take their drinks to continue at home and others even go an extra mile  sending their children to buy some of the substances for them like alcohol and cigarettes thereby teaching the children in other ways to be able to go for them by themselves under the tick of their parents as its often said ‘ our parents are our first teachers­­’ some of the children start developing interest for the substances. In essence parents have great influence over their children either negatively or positively. (Olurishe,2019). According to the world drug report,2019 an estimated 271million people or 5.5 per cent of the global population age 15-64 years had used drug in the previous year and that the drug problem has reached the level of crisis. In some South African towns, drugs like alcohol and cannabis are the predominant primary substance abused by youths as young as 20 years. In addition to alcohol and cannabis, methamphetamine and cocaine constitute secondary substance abused in some major towns in South Africa like Kwazulu and Western Cape in 2013. (Dada et al 2013). In Kenya, drug abuse is not a thing of the poor its rather done by the well to do families and they do it for fun and to derive pleasure from the substances. Drugs consumption in major towns like Nairobi is aided by the availability of slums which breed the young set of abusers. Also, there is a variety of drugs that are being consumed in Kenya some of which are: Alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, heroin, mandrax and cocaine. (chesang, 2013) The wave of drug abuse keeps soaring affecting everyone irrespective of age and gender. Drug misuse in early age results in many negative outcomes in adulthood like low rate of human resource, low work efficiency, poor family relationship and a reduction in educational productivity. Drug abuse remains a worldwide concern but strategies put in place to remedy the situation will hardly succeed if a key factor to the solution is neglected this key factor is parent’s involvement; – which is the level of concern a parent has as regarding a child’s life and wellbeing. Research have shown that parents continue to play a major role in supporting the child in the control and prevention of drug abuse and drug misuse. (Maithya and Cheloti ,2019).

1.2. Statement of the problem

For centuries today, drug abuse and drug misuse has been a major problem that nations of the world are trying hard to control and deal with properly. (Zipporahet al, 2018). According to Kanyoniet al, (2018), drug abuse and the misuse of other psychoactive substances constitute one of the major public health problems Worldwide. The rate of drug use and drug abuse in Cameroon is not different from other countries in Africa but there may be a variation in the degree of the problem in the different countries. Drug abuse and drug use are eye opening crisis. A research carried out in 2018 by Mbangaet al, on rapid assessment on drug use in Cameroon revealed that in 1996 males and females of all ages were involve in the consumption of recreational drugs. It also added that stressed and depressed people tend to use drugs more often as coping strategy. Studies show that parenting practices have a lot of influence on early initiation into the use of alcohol and drugs by children.  The parents of a child are known to be the first teachers of that child and the child tend to listen to the parents more than any other person. As roles to prevent drug abuse by parents among children from the age of 10 and above, they should communicate, set clear expectations, practice good supervision, consistent discipline and minimize family conflicts. Children at early and tender ages between 10 and 15 years will begin to see drugs and alcohol as harmful and will likely not get initiated to the use of such substances and will less likely at ages 17 and above get involved in the use. Whereas, some challenges faced by parents to prevent drug abuse among their children are; lack of parental support, monitoring and communication and also lack of children’s closeness to their parents have been significantly related to frequency of drinking and use of other drugs to cope with their loneliness ( Ngesuet al, 2008). This problem is common in big Towns Cities and even in Urban and Rural areas in Cameroon due to over population, idealness, unemployment and the presence of street and homeless people. In towns like Bamenda there has been an increase in the population as people from different villages come seeking for refuge as the sociopolitical crisis escalate leading to burning of houses and rendering many homeless and the rise in the insecurity levels in the villages. In town the socioeconomic hardship due to lack of jobs have made many people hopeless and most of them have decided to forget their worries, frustrations, loss of loved ones and property to the persistent crisis by involving in drug misuse and drug abuse though some practice drug misuse and abuse due to influence and pressure from friends and peers as they quest to belong and chill with the big boys. Drugs such as alcohol, cigarette, shisha, marijuana, tramadol are the most used because they are easy to get. These drugs are also harmful to health due to their route of administration, some are being injected, other sniffed while some are inhaled and some are smoke? To the best of my knowledge no study has been done at the Tubah Community to determine parental role and challenges faced in the prevention of drug abuse. Therefore, this study aimed at determining methods use by parents and challenges faced in the prevention of drug abuse in the Tubah Community.

1.3. Research questions.

1.3.1. General research question.

What are parent’s role and challenges faced in the prevention of drug abuse among children attending Tubah Community?

1.3.2. Specific research questions

1) What role do parents play in the prevention of drug abuse Tubah Community?

2) What are the challenges faced by parents in the prevention of drug abuse Tubah Community?

1.4. Research objectives

   1.4.1. General objective

To examine parental role and challenges faced in the prevention of drug abuse among children attaining Tubah Community.

 1.4.2. Specific objectives

1) To identify parental role in the prevention of drug abuse Tubah community.

2) To determine the challenges faced by parents in the prevention of drug abuse in Tubah community.