Prevalence and Predicting Alcohol and Drug Use from Family Functioning of University Undergraduates: A Case for Decriminalization Advocacy

Aims: Studies show that psychoactive substance is widely used among university undergraduates globally. This study investigated the prevalence and influence of family functioning on substance use among undergraduates in a selected University in Osun State. Place of Study: Redeemer’s University Ede, Osun State, Southwestern Nigeria. Methodology: A cross-sectional design was used in this study. A multi-stage sampling technique selected 370 participants (mean age 18.7±2.6). Participants responded to the McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD-GF), the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) and the Drug Use Disorder Identification Test (DUDIT). Results: The observed prevalence of substance use among the study participants was 3% and 7% for mild to moderate and moderate to severe alcohol consumption, respectively, and 2.7% and 5.7% for mild to moderate and moderate to severe drug use disorder, respectively. Family functioning failed to determine psychoactive substance use among the study participants significantly. However, significant sex differences existed in psychoactive substance use [t (369) = 1.96, p < .05], such that male participants reported higher mean scores in both alcohol use and drug use disorder compared to the female participants. Lastly, age, level of study and caregiver were significant joint determinants of drug use disorder (R²=.026 p<0.05) among the undergraduates; however, only the level of study had a significant independent predictive influence on drug use disorder. Conclusions: Despite the punitive policy methods of drug control, psychoactive substance use is on the rise in most Nigerian universities. Hence, a multi-faceted approach that combines awareness programs, rehabilitation, and reintegration strategies to reduce psychoactive substance use among undergraduates is recommended to create a safer, healthier university environment.