HIP-HOP SONGS, ALCOHOL AND DRUGS USE AMONG NIGERIAN YOUTHS: IMPLICATION FOR POLICY

Abstract

  The need for empirical studies to establish the extent and pattern of the media-substance relationship is important to drive policy for effective prevention intervention. This study investigated exposure to alcohol advertisement, and the perceived influence of the hip-hop song “science student†on alcohol and drug use among Nigerian youths. The study was cross-sectional and recruited 223 Nigerian university students (57.4% male) online using snowball sampling technique. Participants responded to a survey including questions on socio-demographic characteristics, exposure to alcohol advertisement, substance use, and a semi-structured interview exploring perceived influence of hip-hop song on substance use. The results showed that almost all (92.4%) of the participants responded to having been exposed to alcohol advertisement in their lifetime mostly by TV and movies (82.1%), posters and billboards (62.8%), and social media (62.3%). The majority of the participants (65%) feel that the song (science student) encourages people to use alcohol and drugs. Content analysis of the interviews on how participants feel the science students’ song promote substance use revealed the following themes: description/display of substances, associating substances with intelligence and increased performance, celebrities’ substance use, and normalizing substance use. This study established the need for innovative strategies and policies to promote the prevention of alcohol and drug use among Nigerian youths.