Assessment of the Level of Awareness of Substance Abuse among Senior Secondary School Students in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

There is limited data on the assessment of substance abuse awareness among secondary school students in Nigeria. This study aims to evaluate the level of awareness regarding substance abuse among secondary school students. The research was conducted in secondary schools in Benin City, encompassing both single-gender and mixed-gender institutions. Data collected from the survey were analyzed descriptively. Out of 195 secondary school students surveyed, 20.5% were aged 17-19, 77.9% were aged 14-16, and 1.5% were aged 11-13. Among the respondents, 1.5% attended boarding schools, 97.9% attended day schools, and 5% attended schools offering both day and boarding options. Furthermore, 29.2% attended all-boys schools, 10.3% attended all-girls schools, and 60.5% attended mixed-gender schools. In terms of religious affiliation, 90.8% practiced Christianity, 8.2% practiced Islam, 0.5% were traditional practitioners, and 0.5% followed other religions. Regarding substance abuse education, 4.6% had not been exposed to it, while 95.4% had received education on substance abuse. Therefore, the findings reveal that there is a high level of awareness of substance abuse among secondary school students in Benin City, Nigeria.