ABSTRACT
Many
young people and the Nigerian society as a whole are affected by drug abuse.
The purpose of this study was to find out the role of the Christianity in
controlling drug abuse among the young people in Eldoret East Sub- County. To
achieve this, the study sought to determine the level of awareness of the Christianity
concerning drug abuse among the youth, to find out the effectiveness of the
strategies adopted by churches in tackling drug abuse, and to investigate the
level of involvement of the church with other sectors in tackling the vice. To
realize this, the study adopted a descriptive survey design. Purposive sampling
was used in the selection of the managers of Haven Recovery Centre and the
pastors of Christianity from Eldoret East Sub- County. Random sampling was used
in selecting the recovering drug addicts and the young people from the Christianityes.
The total target population therefore was 1430. The total sample size obtained
from this population was 423. Primary data was collected using both open ended
and structured questionnaires. An interview guide was also used to collect data
from the staff of Haven Recovery Centre. Secondary data was obtained from
documented information from Haven Recovery Centre, the library and the
internet. Qualitative data underwent content analysis while quantitative data
consisted of measuring numerical value. Data was then preserved electronically
and presented in the form of tables: in percentages and frequencies. Then, 80%
of the respondents noted that the church was slightly aware of the reality of
drug abuse, 60% wrote that the church was effective in tackling drug abuse in
guiding, counseling and prayer, and that the church was involved mostly with
parental associations at 42.8% in handling drug abuse among the youth. This
implied that the church should be more interactive with other sectors, and also
upgrade its level of awareness generally in orders to be more effective in its
campaign against drug abuse. Finally, the study made recommendations for policy
and further research in related fields.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Drugs are commonly used
by everybody whether young or old. Drugs are not only useful for human beings;
they are also useful for animals for good health. Human beings give drugs to
their animals when they discovered that they are not healthy. Drug is an effective
substance in the life of any living thing to cure sickness and to make life
healthy. It is true that drugs are used for beneficent therapeutic purposes,
effective substance for good health, but they are being abused by people
especially youths. They use it illegally and unlawfully, thus it becomes
harmful to the body. The impact of drug abuse among Nigerian youths has been
considered a moral decadent. Drug abuse has made the face of the Nigerian
youths rough and brought shame to our society. The Nigerian youths are
deliberately using drugs illegally, unlawfully and intentionally. Many of our
youths ignorantly or knowingly depend on one drug or the other for their daily
activities. According to the statistics provided by World Health Organization
(WHO), drug including alcohol and tobacco, have caused a lot of road accidents
and have claimed more lives than other sicknesses suffered by mankind. As
International Drug Trafficking is gaining strength, the international
cooperation against drug trafficking is steadily losing strength and lacking
organization. The report from world narcotics has shown that confiscation level
has fallen below 10 percent of the global circulation level of drug
international mortality figures for drug abuse have tripled since 1988. In the
United States, medical emergencies coming from cocaine taken rose by 1000
percent between 1976-1993, in the case of the heroine by 6 percent from
1988-1993 and by 155 percent in the case of cannabis. Cocaine addicts between
the age of 12 and 17 increased by 166 percent from 1994-1995 in various
countries. Drugs are being abused every day. In Nigeria, this issue of drug
abuse has been a serious concern for the society. Youths have taken to drug
abuse. In recent times, the rate at which youths abuse drugs have been so
alarming and worrisome that much effort have been made to eradicate it. Alcohol
has many usage and contrasting connotations. A glass of wine with a meal can
symbolize Love, friendship, relaxation and enjoyment of a special occasion. It can
represent romance, coming of age, success, beginnings and endings, good news
and good company. At a Christian Eucharist or Jewish Passover, where wine is
also shared, thanks are given to God for divine salvation from all that were
enslaved, restricted and condemned. In drinking the wine, Christians
participate with the first disciples in their Last Supper with Christ, and Jews
participate with the ancient Hebrews in their exodus from enslavement in Egypt.
In African tradition, wine is used to portray a relationship and communion
between the living human and ancestors, deities and other supernatural
entities. This is evidence in covenant establishment, oath taking, daily ritual
of libation, burial and institution of shrines and altars. Also in marriage ceremonies,
the usage of alcoholic wine is indispensible even against the vehement
opposition of Pentecostal churches in Africa with Nigeria as typical example.
Ekwe (2000) stated that apart from water and wind, wine is another integral and
indispensible part of African life and living. The presence is felt in almost
all the activities of African customs and traditions ranging from burials,
rituals, marriages, oath takings, covenant establishments, meetings,
hospitalities, evening relaxation to all forms of their daily activities.
Unfortunately, the
sacredness and redemptiveness of these occasions contrast with the association
of alcohol with drunken violence in our towns and cities, cirrhosis of the
liver on our medical wards, debts in families, death on our roads and numbers
of fights in families. It contrasts more especially with the enslavement, which
is alcoholism or alcohol addiction. This contrasting nature of alcoholic drink
is clearly revealed in different chapters and verses of the Hebrew Scripture, the
Old Testament. Serious warnings were placed on the need to avoid addiction and
lust towards alcoholic wine. At some instances, some people were strictly
warned not to taste alcoholic wine or partake in meals that have connection
with alcohol. For instance, Nazarites like Samson in Judges 13:7, Princes in
Proverbs 31:4 and the Rechabite family in Jeremiah 35 were in this category.
The book of Proverbs 23:29-35 pointed out and analyze the state, condition and
ordeals of an alcoholic drinker and the problem of addiction even in this
contemporary era.
1.2 Statement of the problem
Drug abuse among the youth in Nigeria
has become a serious problem. Addiction to drugs leads many people, young
people prominent among them, into hopelessness that in some cases ends in
despair, (NDLEA, 2005). The problem is prevalent in Nigeria. It ranges from
glue sniffing street children and teenage ecstasy users to hardcore marijuana
and cocaine addicts. This poses a threat to their own health and safety, while
creating difficulties for their families and the public at large. If left
unchecked, the problem threatens to adversely affect the younger generation by
slowing down the country’s economic development, lowering academic standards
among students and domestic violence among others. The church’s role as
outlined in the Holy Bible is not just concentrated on the spiritual well-
being of the people in the community. Jesus himself cared for the people he
ministered to, making sure to feed them, heal them and even raise the dead. A
lot of research related to alcohol and substance abuse among the youth has been
carried out from a non- religious perspective by both individuals and
institutions. This descriptive survey study was therefore conducted from a
religious perspective for the purpose of bridging this gap. It sought to
investigate how well the Christianity is doing in not only caring for the
spiritual needs of the people, but how well it is doing in handling the problem
of alcohol and substance abuse among people.
1.3 Objectives of the Study.
The
overall objective was to determine the contribution of the Christianity in
controlling alcohol and substance abuse among people.
1.3.1
Specific Objectives
The
study was guided by the following specific objectives to:
i.
determine the level of awareness of
the Christianity concerning alcohol and substance abuse
ii.
find out the effectiveness of the
strategies the Christianity had put in place in tackling alcohol and substance
abuse
iii.
investigate the level of involvement
of the Christianity with other sectors in tackling alcohol and substance
1.4
Research Questions
i.
What is the level of awareness of the Christianity
concerning alcohol and substance abuse?
ii.
What is the effectiveness of the
strategies of the Christianity in handling alcohol and substance abuse?
iii.
What is the level of involvement by
the Christianity with other sectors in handling alcohol and substance abuse?
1.5
Scope of the Study
Although
the study focused on young people of all ages, the emphasis was on young people
in Akure who had been affected by the vice. The study area consisted churches
which were easily accessible. It also included the churches’ recovery centre,
and which was also located in Akure. The recovery center was selected for
investigation because of the period of time it had existed, the sizeable number
of young people who had gone through the facility, the level of documentation
and follow up programs.
1.6
Limitation of the Study
There
was an oversensitivity occasioned by the very nature of the study. Some
respondents were not cooperative, resulting in withholding of some vital data.
The study also identified difficulty in obtaining reliable data from young
people who were devastated by drug abuse.
1.7
Significance of Study
It is believed that at the
completion of the study, the findings will be of great importance to the
religious organizations; churches, mosque and other religious body to revisit
the norms of their beliefs and help spreading awareness on the dangers of drug
abuse and alcoholic on the health and well-being of the citizens.
The study will also be of great
benefit to psychiatric and rehabilitation homes as the findings will help them
educate their patient on the dangers of alcoholism and drugs to their mental
well-being. The study will also be of importance to researcher who intends to
carry out study in similar topic as the study will serve as a reference point.
Finally, the study will be of significance to academia, student, teachers,
lecturers and the general public as the findings will also contribute to the
pool of knowledge.
1.8
Definition of Terms
Alcoholism
Alcoholism, also known
as alcohol use disorder (AUD), is a broad term for any drinking
of alcohol that results in mental or physical health problems. It was previously divided into two types: alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence
Drug
abuses
Drug abuse, is a
patterned use of a drug in which the user consumes the substance in amounts or
with methods which are harmful to themselves or others, and is a form of substance-related
disorder. Widely differing definitions of drug abuse are
used in public health, medical and criminal justice contexts
Christianity
An Abrahamic monotheistic religion basedonthe life and teachings of Jesus Christ, who serves as the focal point for the
religion. It is the world’s largest
religion, with over 2.4 billion followers, or 33%
of the global population, known as Christians. Christians make up a majority of the
population in 158 countries and territories