THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Alcoholism is a disease in which an individual continues to crave for alcohol despite of repeated alcohol-related problems. The signs of alcoholism and alcohol abuse are as very similar and are often just a question of degree or intensity. Typically, the last person to be aware that he/she has serious drinking problems is the alcoholic himself/herself – they are in denial. Some sign and symptoms of alcoholism as well as alcoholic abuse include, drinking alone, not being able to limit how much alcohol consumed, dropping hobbies and activities of the person used to enjoy; losing interest in them, feeling an urge to drink, having relationship problems with the law, having money problems, and requiring a large quantity of alcohol to feel its effect (videbeck, 2007).
Alcohol is one of the most widely used drug substances in the world. Mostly people drink a small or moderate amount of alcohol to make them relax and enhance their social activities. Using alcohol in this way is not harmful for most adult. However, people, whose use of alcohol has negative effects on any aspects of their lives, including health, relationship, work, study are considered to have an alcohol problem. This problem can range from mild to severe. The severity of an alcohol problem defends on the factors including the type of alcohol you drink, how much you drink and how long you have been drinking (Draves, 2008).
Alcohol is a liquid of strong pungent taste, an inflammable intoxicating element in fermented or distilled liquor. Alcohol is one of the large groups of sedatives, drugs which include barbiturates, bromides and chloroform. A seductive drug is one that causes sleep when used in large enough quantities. Alcohol was one of the earliest sedative drugs used.
Doctors are not sure why people become alcoholism. These do not seem to be particular type of personality likely to become an alcohol. Alcoholism may affect men and women, the old and young, the rich and the poor (Grolier, 2000).
Alcohol use and binge among our nation’s youth is a major public problem. Nowadays, college students are consuming alcohol at increasing rates where the college students who appear to be a particularly high risk is one of the public health concerns in terms of their alcohol consumption and its associated risk behaviors. Studies from different parts of the world have shown that college students have a high prevalence of alcohol drinking and alcohol-use disorders, than the college youth. This could be attributed to the well-established developmental phase college students go through, in which they are away from home, family and longstanding friendship, in addition to the college setting being a unique environment to with a large proportion of young people are exposed. Aside from health risk, college students who drink too much alcohol may also be damaging their academic performance. There are already many lifestyle and other variables which may related to academic performance. Alcohol use is only part of the picture. Interestingly, estimates of hours spent in private study were only marginally correlated with academic performance.