Assessing the Determinants of Drug Use and Abuse among Gender in a Residential Neighborhoods of Calabar South Local Government Area, Nigeria

This paper seeks to examine the rate of gender use and abuse of drug in residential neighborhoods of Calabar South Local Government Area. A total of six hundred copies of questionnaire were randomly distributed in recreational and entertainment centres where majority of people usually converge during leisure hours. The questionnaires captured the socio-demographic characteristics, factors influencing drug use and abuse among age group and the challenges of drug use and abuse in the study area. The data collected revealed that the socio-demographic characteristic factors greatly influenced the rate of drug use and abuse among males compared to female gender in the area which was evidenced in the result of the tested hypothesis with a high calculated value. However, it was observed that socio-demographic characterizes were the major determinants that have influenced the rate of drug use and abuse in the study area. Therefore, the agencies concern must put adequate measures to avert the rate of drug use and abuse in the study area.