A STUDY OF ALCOHOL DRINKING BEHAVIOUR AMONG RURAL STUDENT AND NON-STUDENT TEENAGERS

Abstract

This study of alcohol drinking behaviour among rural students and non-student teenagers was carried out in Igboora, a rural town of Oyo State, Nigeria. A total of 535 students were surveyed in six secondary schools and 365 apprentices in eight neighbourhoods of the town. The ages of the teenagers surveyed ranged from 13-19 years. 105 or 19.6% students and 44 or 12.1% apprentices were found to be alcohol drinkers. The majority of the teenagers that consumed alcohol were between 11-15 years of age. Alcohol use education was found to be absent in both schools and in the community. Peer influence on alcohol use among the youths was found to exist. The following recommendations were made by the author: Alcohol use education for the whole community including teenagers, adults and parents should be organised, Health education particularly alcohol use education should be integrated into the school curriculum right from the primary schools, school children should be educated about alcohol use by parents or guardians, the government should work in communities to ensure that alcohol consumption is reduced in celebrations, festivals and feasts, recreational facilities should be provided by the Government for the use of the youths, religious leaders should be involved in the planning of alcohol drinking preventive programmes, parents should ensure that the teenagers' pocket money are judiciously used or spent, alcohol related advertisement by the media should be immediately followed by warning about the possible consequences of alcohol drinking.