J.E. ISENMILA

This work studied women participation in community development with special emphasis on Egor Local Government Area, Edo State. The exercise was carried out due to the observed lag in women participation in community development all over the country. The work had four key objectives which it sought to realize. These include: to ascertain the barriers to women participation in agriculture within the local government, to ascertain the impact of low level of education on women participation in community development, to determine how to enhance women participation in the politics of Egor Local Government Area and finally to identify ways of empowering the women for optimal participation in the overall development of the communities. The researcher made use of both primary and secondary sources of data to generate data used for the study. These data were presented in tables and analysed using simple percentage. The researcher found out the various barriers to women participation in community development to include cultural practices, low level of women education, poverty among the rural women and violent that characterize the country’s politics. It is therefore recommended that cultural practices that deny women free access to community development should be abrogated; Government should provide modern farm implements to the rural women farmers and also educate them on how to use these implements to enhance productivity; girl child education should be made free and also compulsory at least at secondary school levels. The study also recommend that social workers should be ready to actively participate in the involvement of women participation in community
development.

This study examines Drug Abuse Among University Undergraduates in the University of
Benin, Edo State. The population of the study consist of 300 and 400 level
undergraduates in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Benin, Benin City. The total population of students in the study area was about 2,940. In other to determine the sample size, the researcher used a 5% level of significance. The sample size was derived using Yaro Yamnane formula. The result that was gotten using TamnaneYaro formula was 352 from the total population, and 150 was taken from the population size of the study. Data was analyzed by means of table and frequency. The study conclude that drug abuse constitutes one of the major social problems in Nigeria because of the hazardous effect on the health of people and also psychologically, physically, socially, educationally etc. from the finding, the following conclusion were made that drug abuse is a social problem basically associated with young people. These young people involve themselves in taking hard drugs and excessive taking of some drugs which may alter the body system or may cause damage to the health. Drug abuseis very common among undergraduates. Drug is mostly abused by male undergraduates
than female. The study therefore made the following recommendations that parents andschool authorities should advise the undergraduates to refrain from indulging in drugabuse. National Drug Law Enforcement Agency should organize its workshop and seminars on drug free education in various secondary schools and institution of higher
learning in the country. Legislation should be enacted to penalize haulage companies
especially transporters who do not implement and enforce procedure to prevent misuse of their facilities by drug trafickers. The curriculum for drug education should be developed and made to be taught at all level of the educational system.

The influence of social media on youth behavior has become a major concern, particularly regarding its role in promoting drug abuse. This study investigates how social media contributes to drug use among youths in General Ovia North East, Edo State, focusing on the relationship between exposure to online content, peer interactions, and drug-related behaviors. The objectives were to determine the types of social media content that influence drug use, examine the role of peer pressure in online spaces, and assess youths’ awareness of the risks associated with substance abuse. A mixed-methods research design was employed, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to capture a holistic understanding of the phenomenon. Data were collected from youths aged 15–30 years, using structured questionnaires and semi-structured interview guides. Quantitative findings indicate a significant correlation between high social media usage and increased susceptibility to drug abuse, while qualitative insights reveal that peer influence, online trends, and social validation strongly affect youths’ attitudes toward drug experimentation. Additionally, many respondents perceive drug use as socially normalized within certain online communities.
The study concludes that social media plays a critical role in shaping youth behaviors, both directly through exposure to drug-related content and indirectly through peer influence. Recommendations include the implementation of targeted awareness campaigns, parental supervision, and policy interventions to mitigate the negative impact of social media on youths. This research provides valuable evidence for public health practitioners, educators, and community leaders in designing strategies to prevent and reduce drug abuse among youths in Edo State and similar communities

This study examines Drug Abuse Among University Undergraduates in the University of Benin, Edo State. The population of the study consist of 300 and 400 level undergraduates in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Benin, BeninCity. The total population of students in the study area was about 2,940. In other todetermine the sample size, the researcher used a 5% level of significance. The samplesize was derived using Yaro Yamnane formula. The result that was gotten usingTamnane Yaro formula was 352 from the total population, and 150 was taken fromthepopulation size of the study. Data was analyzed by means of table and frequency. Thestudy conclude that drug abuse constitutes one of the major social problems in Nigeriabecause of the hazardous ef ect on the health of people and also psychologically, physically, socially, educationally etc. from the finding, the following conclusion weremade that drug abuse is a social problem basically associated with young people. Theseyoung people involve themselves in taking hard drugs and excessive taking of somedrugs which may alter the body system or may cause damage to the health. Drug abuseis very common among undergraduates. Drug is mostly abused by male undergraduates than female. The study therefore made the following recommendations that parents andschool authorities should advise the undergraduates to refrain from indulging in drugabuse. National Drug Law Enforcement Agency should organize its workshop andseminars on drug free education in various secondary schools and institution of higher learning in the country. Legislation should be enacted to penalize haulage companies especially transporters who do not implement and enforce procedure to prevent misuseof their facilities by drug traf ickers. The curriculum for drug education should bedeveloped and made to be taught at all level of the educational system.