A SURVEY OF ALCHOHOLIC BEVERAGE DRINKING PATTERN AMONG POST-PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ENUGU, ANAMBRA STATE: IMPLICATION FOR HEALTH EDUCATION

Abstract

A survey of nine post-primary schools in Enugu, Anambra State, was carried out to study the alcoholic beverage drinking patterns among post-primary students. The age of the students studied ranged between 10-25 years old. Of 800 students studied, 452 (56.5%) reported consuming alcoholic beverages at one time or the other. A majority of the students that consume alcoholic beverages were between 10-19 years old. The study found that among the drinking students, their parents also drink; those from Secondary Grammar Schools drank more than those students from Teachers Training College. The result from this study tends to Indicate Strong Influence of parents and poor groups on the alcoholic beverage drinking patterns of the youths. Their parents provide the environment for drinking as well as the alcoholic beverages for the youths. The unstructured oral Interviews conducted among some of the principals and teachers in the surveyed schools tend to support these findings. It was also Indicated from the study that little or no formal health education activities were currently going on in the surveyed schools. Implication for health education from this finding Indicate need to educate the parents and the general public as a whole. Health education to start from home in pre-school age to help them acquire appropriate healthful attitudes towards use and misuse of alcohol before reaching post-primary schools. There should also be Integration of health education components in all basic Teachers Training Colleges. There should be co-operation between home, school and community In planning educational programme for all schools. The youths, parents, teachers, policy makers, and specialists in all fields should be Involved in defining the problems associated with alcohol as well as planning for their prevention.