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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Experimental substance use among rural and urban teenagers in Zimbabwe
Author:Zindi, F.
Year:1992
Periodical:Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research (ISSN 1013-3445)
Volume:4
Issue:1
Pages:1-16
Language:English
Geographic terms:Zimbabwe
Southern Africa
Subjects:pupils
drug use
Abstract:This paper examines the following basic questions: To what extent are drugs being used/abused in Zimbabwe? To what extent is drug use/abuse influenced by urban or rural environmental factors? How effective are the substance education programmes being implemented in Zimbabwe? A total of 2000 randomly selected teenagers aged between 13 and 16 of both sexes from 40 urban and rural secondary schools responded to questionnaire items which assessed attitudes, influence and experience with alcohol, marijuana, inhalants and other drugs. Results showed that 93 percent of the respondents had had some experience with the use of addictive substances. Frequencies of experience with the more sophisticated drugs and Western-style alcoholic drinks were consistently higher among urban teenagers than among rural teenagers. A follow-up study with a substance education package designed for prevention of and/or intervention in substance use was administered two months later to 50 percent of the same teenagers, while the other 50 percent acted as controls. Readministration of the questionnaire after six months showed no significant change in attitude, behaviour and experience despite the fact that 50 percent of the pupils had received a substance education programme. Implications for identifying adolescents 'at risk' and the tailoring of stronger prevention/intervention efforts are addressed. Bibliogr.
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