SUBSTANCE USE IN A UNIVERSITY POPULATION: THE IMPLICATIONS OF PERCEIVED SOCIAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

The rate at which young people indulging in substance use is becoming distressing and have raised critical public health concerns globally especially among undergraduate students. Substance use is defined as taking a substance into the body for an intended purpose, such as behavioural or emotional change. According to, substance users are individuals who have rejected imposed cultural goals and the means to achieve those goals. Alcohol, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and tobacco/nicotine among many others have been the major substances used among adolescents and young adult population especially in Nigeria. According to use of substances may occur without having a significant impact on an individual’s functioning, but when tolerance is built and use increases, even at the expense of work or school, relationships, or one’s own health or safety, this can indicate a substance use disorder.