Substance Abuse among Females in Nigeria

Abstract

Drug abuse is the indiscriminate use of drugs without a doctor's prescription. Drugs commonly abuse is sleeping tablets, pain relief tablets, cough syrup, household detergents, narcotics and psychotropic substances. Female Involvement in drug abuse starts with experimentation or curiosity, occasional use, regular use and dependency addiction. Reasons advance for drug abuse are peer group influence, psychological or physiological factors, environmental factors, unemployment, unmet expectations and media advertisement. The consequences of drug abuse include mental illness, liver and kidney related diseases, low productivity, child abuse, sexual abuse, loss of individual integrity, financial mismanagement, destruction of family hope and untimely death. This paper will examine the extent of female involvement in substance abuse, commonly abuse drugs, implications of substance abuse on the overall national development. Strategies will be suggested in order to curb the ugly trends of substance abuse among the females in Nigeria.