Assessment and comparison of the knowledge and attitudes toward drug abuse among male and female secondary school students in Owo, Ondo State

Abstract

Drug abuse is the illicit use of medications, usually to incite pleasure, Euphoria, or to gain a feeling that has not been instructed for by a medical professional. The concept of drug abuse has been discussed in Nigeria time after time, but it remains a menace in the country. A cross-sectional study on the knowledge of drug abuse amongst teenagers was carried out in Owo, a local government area in Ondo state, Nigeria, using the questionnaire method. The questions ranged from basic knowledge of these concepts to complex questions. A comparison of the level of knowledge and attitudes toward drug abuse was made between male and female students and between students in private and public schools. They were all found to have sufficient basic knowledge of drug abuse, its causes, and its effects. There was no statistically significant difference between the level of knowledge and attitudes toward drug abuse between male and female secondary school students and between private and public school students.