Psychosocial correlates of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use amongst secondary school students in Ilorin, Nigeria.

The psychosocial correlates of alcohol, cigarette and cannabis use were examined in a population of secondary school students in Ilorin, Nigeria, using a 117-items substance use questionnaire. Current alcohol use was found to be significantly associated with urban location of schools, self-reported study difficulty, self-reported poor mental health and having fathers who are highly skilled professionals. Current cigarette use was found to be positively correlated with rural location of school, male sex, older age group and self-reported poor mental health. Lifetime cannabis use was found to be significantly associated with male sex, self-rated poor academic performance and self-reported poor mental health. Perceived availability of alcohol, cigarette and cannabis by the respondents was found to be related to the rate of use of these drugs while perceived harmfulness did not appear to serve as a sufficient deterrent against substance use in the student population. These findings indicate the need for preventive strategies that emphasize school based drug education programmes, parent and teacher education, and national health policies that control availability and accessibility to these substances by Nigerian youths.