A Study of the Causes and Effects of Drug and Substance Abuse Among Students in Selected Secondary Schools in Starehe Sub County, Nairobi County

Abstract

Drug and Substance Abuse has been talked about worldwide and Kenya is part of that globe. Teachers, parents, church officials and other stakeholders have been at the forefront trying to find out the causes and ways of controlling it. Therefore, there is a need to curb this vice. This study aimed at finding out what makes students abuse drugs and the effects that arise out of this practice with reference to Starehe Sub- County, Nairobi. The study also suggested measures that can be taken to control drug and substance abuse. The study was guided by the following objectives; to establish the extent to which parent’s sources of income influence the prevalence of drug and substance abuse; determine how location of schools influence the prevalence of drug and substance abuse; establish the extent to which school administration influences the prevalence of drug and substance abuse; establish how peer pressure influences abuse; investigate how drug abuse among secondary school students determine their academic achievement. The target population was 6 secondary schools. The sample consisted of two hundred and sixty-eight students, six guidance and counselling teachers and six principals. Simple random sampling was used to select the students. Data was collected using questionnaires. The data collected was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software programme and presented using both qualitative and descriptive methods such as frequencies and percentages and presented as tables and figures. It was established that most students are driven into taking drugs by peer pressure. Poor performance is the greatest effect of drug abuse among drug taking students. The researcher recommended that all stakeholders be involved in curriculum review and reform to address drug abuse related issues and guidance and counselling sessions enhanced in changing student behaviour.