PATTERNS OF PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCE USE AMONG TWO-WHEEL COMMERCIAL RIDERS IN MAIDUGURi, BORNO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract When any psychoactive substance is taken before driving, lives o f both passengers and other motorists operating on the highway are endangered. This survey study designed to determine the patterns o f psychoactive substance use among two-wheel commercial riders in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. The population o f this study was 4141 two-wheel commercial riders operating in Maiduguri, Borno State. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 18 substations from the sampling frame. However, only 297 respondents constituted the study sample. Data were collected with the help o f research assistants using a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data generated. The results o f the study reveal that the commonly used psychoactive substances were kola nyt, cigarette, alcohol and marijuana. Oral and sniffing were the routes used by the respondents. Seventy-five percent o f the respondents used these substances daily, mostly kola nut (31.31%) and cigarette (24.24%) that were obtained within garage. Alcohol (8.41%) and marijuana (7.74%) were obtained outside the garage. Analysis o f problems associated with psychoactive substance use in the last one year shows that road traffic accident was the highest (Z-value o f 6), followed by work and social problems (Z—value o f 5 and 4) respectively. It is recommended that an intervention studies be conducted by the government and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to give the two-wheel commercial riders information on the types, use and consequences o f psychoactive substances. Finally, government should enforce laws against psychoactive substance use and provide high-tech tools to help law enforcement agencies to tract substance users.