CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Globally, alcohol consumption is the seventh leading risk factor for both death and the burden of disease and living. Alcohol use is a major cause of preventable liver disease worldwide and alcoholic liver disease is the main alcohol related chronic medical illness. The Encyclopedia Encarta (2006) described the term “alcohol abuse” as the consumption of spirits, wine, beer, and malt to such and extend that it affects the social or work-related functioning of an individual.
Alcohol abuse has become a common practice especially among youths in Uruan Local Government area. Most of the youths find alcohol consumption as a means of shying away from their challenges in life, others consume it so as to be accepted among their peers, majority consume alcohol before confronting an issue, this they do because they see alcohol as a courage booster.
The Effect of Alcohol Abuse on the Health of the Youths in Uruan Local Government Area
A smaller volume of consumed alcohol has a greater impact on the older adult than it does on younger individual. As a result, the American Geriatrics society recommends for an older adult with no known risk factors less than one drink a day or fewer than two drinks per occasion regardless of gender. An addicted person could by psychologically dependent on alcohol, this means that the person thought he or she must take alcohol at all time, the body may actually need it or not need it at all. Some under the influence of alcohol would not only risk harming themselves but others as well.
Odejide (1989) observed that “alcohol abuse presents broad-spectrum of problems which affect the individual, his immediate family, and the society at large”. Furthermore, the social impact of alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence includes loss of job, loss of one’s sense of responsibility, family peace disruption, school drop-out, promiscuity and deliberate violence to oneself or others. The devastating physical, social and psychological effects on the alcohol addict, his/her family and immediate environment are enormous.
Therefore, we cannot sit and watch this plaque destroy our present and future generation of this nation. The frequent abuse of alcohol by the youths can also result in impaired academic performance. It is high time to target and prevent this benign menace from being malignant.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
According to statistics provided by the World Health Organization (WHO, 1970) Alcohol including wine, spirit and beer are commonly used by our youths all over the world. In the past years, alcohol experimentation and alcohol dependence appear to have spread to all level of our society exposed to it youth and adult alike. Most of the youths have becomes psychologically and socially dependent on alcohol, thus it tend to manifest in everything they do each day whereby most of them find it hard to work without taking alcohol. Alcohol abuse is a serious social problem affecting the socio-economic development of people in almost every society. Also, the frequent abuse of alcohol such as beer, spirit, gin as well as other ethanol which further promote illicit production, distribution and sale of alcohol constitute social, cultural and national security threat. It is an observable fact that effect of alcohol abuse is tearing apart our society spawning crime and killing our youths and our future. It is really hard to estimate on the exact damages cause by this addicts to our society expect by approximation.
In Nigeria society, there are a number of youth who are inmate in hospitals. Apart from becoming mentally sick and less productive, these youth poses serious problems for their immediate families. Alcohol abuse has beer associated with nervous disorders such as Motor Neuron Diseases (MND). Therefore, the abuse of alcohol among youths in Uruan has generated a lot of concern among parents, policy makers and Non-Governmental Organization. The belief is that youths are regarded as being in the fore front in the abuse of alcohol in Nigeria. This study will seek to find out the effect of alcohol abuse on the health of the youths in Uruan Local Government Area.
1.3 Statement of Purpose
The purpose of this study is to determine the causes and effects of alcohol abuse on the health of the youth between ages 16 years to 35 years of age in Uruan Local Government Area.
on the health of the youths in Uruan Local Government Area.
The Effect of Alcohol Abuse on the Health of the Youths in Uruan Local Government Area
1.4 Objectives of the Study
1.5 Significance of the Study
It is observed that great number of youths in Uruan Local Government Area abuse alcohol. This research work will help to bring into limelight on why youths abuse alcohol and how this problem affects their health. It is believed that the study will throw more light on many issues relating to alcohol abuse in the study area. It will also serve as a reference material to other researchers who in the future would want to carry out similar research. This will further assist the legislators in their policies formulation particularly with reference to the harmful effects of alcohol abuse on the health of the youth in the Local Government Area, state and Nigeria.
