The Causes and Effects of Cigarette Smoking Among Secondary School Students
ABSTRACT
This descriptive study aimed to investigate the causes and effects of cigarette smoking among secondary school students in Ididep, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State. To guide the study, three objectives were set thus: To find out the Causes of cigarette smoking among students; to examine the effects of cigarette smoking on students’ social behavior; and to examine the effects of cigarette smoking on students’ academic achievement. Research questions were also formulated and related works of literature were reviewed based on the set objectives. The sample size of 100 respondents was selected using a simple random sampling technique. The main instrument for data collection was a questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using simple percentages and were presented in tables. Findings revealed the causes and effects of cigarette smoking. Findings also revealed that cigarette smoking greatly impaired students’ social behaviour and academic achievement. Based on these findings, the conclusion was drawn and recommendations were also made among others that, that government, school administration and churches should organize seminars and conferences for the parents on how the environment has a vital role play in children’s up-bringing, they should regularly spell out-those things that will enable them to be responsible or hold their personality high and things that will not sabotage their personality.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Smoking is a practice in which a substance is burned and the resulting smoke breathed in to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, which have been rolled into a small square of rice paper to create a small, round cylinder called a “cigarette”. Cigarette smoking is primarily practiced as a route of administration for recreational drug use because the combustion of the dried plant leaves vaporizes and delivers active substances into the lungs where they are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and reach bodily tissue. These substances contain mixture of aerosol particles and gasses, and include the pharmacologically active alkaloid nicotine; the vaporization creates heated aerosol and gas into a form that allows inhalation and deep penetration into the lungs where absorption into the bloodstream of the active substances occurs (Akube, 2017).
Cigarette smoking in recent years has become considerably pleasurable to the addict. Different classes of people use it; it could be wrapped and smoked, it could be soaked into local gin and sold by local gin sellers, which abound in many part of our society. It is known by a number of slang names, including pot, grass, reefer, weed, and Mary Jane (Iversen, 2013). Iversen also noted that cigarette is a substance that has long been used as medicine and an intoxicant.
Nowlis (2015) observed that cigarette is a substance which affects the structure and function of the organism negatively inducing the organism into states, such as confusion, acute panic reactions, anxiety attacks, fear, sense of helplessness, and loss of self-control. It was reported in Tide magazine of July 6th (2011), that, cigarette is among the cheapest class of hard drugs that many secondary school students could purchase and use. A rap of cigarette is sold for N20.00 while a pinch of cocaine or heroin goes for N50.00 and above. The implication of this is that large numbers of Nigerian youths have access to cigarette.
Akube (2017) explained that cigarette is a product that harms the body of a smoker. This is a situation where the person inhales the burning fumes produced by the form or pipes of the hand-rolled cigarette. Some of the observable characteristics of smokers that distinguish them from non-smokers are odour similar to burnt leave, excessive laughter, unkempt hairs, red eyes, black lips, excessive appetite, yellowish stains on fingertips etc. Cigarette smoking is widely spread among adolescents, students, and young adults.
The percentage of middle school students, who are reported to have been using or smoking cigarettes, increase throughout early 1990, 1991, and 1992 (National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2013). Cigarette smoking is a common phenomenon among students in Senior Secondary Schools. Anumonye (2012) observed that secondary school students who smoke cigarettes initiate themselves by smoking at the age of 11 years and that a friend’s home is the most often smoking place, and the observable behavior among these smokers are relaxation and a feeling of well being, euphoria, the enhanced sensation of taste, touch, hearing, and vision.
The Causes and Effects of Cigarette Smoking Among Secondary School Students
Tide (2011) reported that, the commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Mr. Eigege Adamu, in River State, in an address at the ceremony of United Nation day on Drug said that cigarette is an illicit drug that causes 80% of violent crime among secondary school students in our society. The extent of Indian hemp abuse among secondary school students has prompted the mass media to organize discussions by officials of mass media on ills of cigarette smoking.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Cigarette smoking by students in the study area has been largely associated with various factors and has been addressed from different dimensions by the researcher. Such influence suffices due to changes in the environment and school climate; it is also ranging from pleasure-seeking, differing stress, joblessness, parental background and peer pressure. However, in it has been observed that cigarette smoking has a very strong influence on students’ social behaviour and academic achievement. Students’ lifestyles remain an important determinant to their behaviour. Common observations in Secondary School, Ididep have shown that cigarette smoking influences the social behaviour and academic achievement of students in the school. Negative social behaviour like, cultism, truancy, drug/alcohol, gangsterism, and examination malpractice have been on the increase recently.
The thrust of this work is therefore to find answers to the causes and effects of cigarette smoking among secondary school students in Ididep, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The main objective of this study was to find out the causes and effects of cigarette smoking among secondary school students in Ididep, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, and Akwa Ibom State.
The specific objectives of the study were as follows:
- To identify the causes of cigarette smoking among secondary school students in Ididep, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area.
- To examine the effects of cigarette smoking on students’ social behavior in secondary school in Ididep, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area.
- To examine the effects of cigarette smoking on students’ academic achievement in secondary school in Ididep, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area.
1.4 Research Questions
- What are the causes of cigarette smoking among secondary school students in Ididep, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area?
- To what extent does cigarette smoking affect students’ social behavior in secondary school in Ididep, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area?
- To what extent does cigarette smoking affect students’ academic achievement in secondary school in Ididep, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area?
1.5 Significance of the Study
The findings of this study will help to understand the behavioural patterns of secondary school students who smoke cigarettes.
The study will be useful for teachers who are directly involved with the students and are aware of the causes and effects of cigarette smoking on students’ social behaviour and academic achievement in schools and in turn help them out.
School administrators and policymakers who are directly involved in formulating policies will create a conducive learning environment for the students.
It will also help educational psychologists in the areas of researching and developing theories and techniques in dealing with maladjusted behaviours.
Parents will benefit immensely as it will enable them to identify such delinquent behaviours and promptly call for intervention from the appropriate authority.
The students will also benefits as they will realize the causes and effects of cigarette smoking on their social behaviour and academic achievement. Finally, this study will help other researchers as it will serves as a stepping stone toward other research work.