Accessibility and Proximity to Drugs as Factors Influencing Drug Use Among Occupational Drivers in Uyo, Nigeria.

Abstract

Despite considerable effort directed towards drug use and prevention in Nigeria, there is a dearth of information on usage among occupational drivers. A major concern of this study was on the accessibility and proximity to drugs as factors influencing drug use among tipper drivers in Uyo. One hundred and eleven (111)
tipper drivers aged between 18-60 years participated in the study. The drivers were all males selected using convenient sampling technique with the mean (X) age of 36.5. A 2 x 2 factorial design was employed and a 2-way ANOVA was employed for data analyses. The results showed a significant effect of accessibility to drugs as
influencing drug use among tipper drivers [F(1.107) = 25.48, P<.01]. Similarly proximity to drugs was found to exert a significant effect on drug use among tipper drivers [F(1,107) = 5.51, P< .05]. There was no significant interaction effect. The study also revealed the percentage of ease of access and proximity to the drugs under
study with alcohol being the most accessible with 93.7%, cigarette 92%, and marijuana being the least accessible 41%.