IYAMABHOR ABIGAIL

The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge of health effects of substance use amongst the youths in Ovia North East Local Government area. In view of this three research questions were raised to guide the study and various literature were reviewed in the study. The research design that is adopted for this study is descriptive survey design. This design is used in the study where the researcher does not have control of the variables and as such could not manipulate them because they had already occurred before the desire to conduct the research became evident. The population of the study consist of youths in Ovia North East Local Government area. The sample size for the study will be two hundred (200) youths in Ovia North East Local Government area. Convenience sampling technique was used to select to select the respondents in the study. The research instrument that was used for this study is a self-constructed Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages and mean statistics. Data generated were analyzed with the aid of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. It was discovered that, in terms of knowledge of the health effects of substance use is high. However, the adequate knowledge regarding the health effects of substance use did not prevent them from quitting its use. Majority of the respondents know that headache, hand tremor , accident, disease of the lung and premature death are the physical effect of drug abuse. It shows that majority of the respondents have high knowledge of the physical health effects of drug abuse. Majority of the respondents know that emotional problem, increased aggression, inability to sleep, mental illness and poor concentration are the psychological health effects of drug abuse. Majority of the respondents know that alter family relationship, poor academic performance , unprotected premarital sex, make one violent and affect ones finance are the social health effects of drug abuse. Thus majority of the respondents have high knowledge of social health effects of drug abuse.Based on the conclusion of the study, the researcher recommended