SOCIO CULTURAL DETERMINANTS OF SMOKING AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AMONG ROAD TRANSPORT WORKERS IN ANAMBRA STATE: A STUDY OF NATIONAL UNION OF ROAD TRANSPORT WORKERS (NURTW), AWKA

Abstract

This paper examined the socio cultural determinants of smoking and alcohol consumption among road transport workers in Anambra state. It is a cross sectional survey and the participants were drawn from the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Awka Chapter. The questionnaire constituted the instrument for data collection for the study and participants in the study were selected using the simple random sampling technique. The social learning theory and the availability-proneness theory were adopted as the theoretical anchorage for the study. It was found among others that road transport workers in Anambra state drink alcohol to overcome boredom, avoid stress and to make them happy. It was also found in this study that road transport workers were influenced into drinking alcohol because of the availability of alcohol, peer group influence, influence from their families and the desire to cope with economic stress of day to day realities of life. The study also found that smoking makes people to feel good/high and that smoking of marijuana produces an endless calm and unassuming behaviour on them. Finally, it was observed that road transport workers smoke and drink alcohol because it is sweeter when they are taken together and it makes them feel good when they smoke and drink simultaneously. The study therefore recommended among others that commercial drivers should be monitored on the highways to ascertain the level of alcohol in their systems with a view to penalizing those of them who drink and drive. The study also recommended attitudinal change for members of the road transport workers through intensified sensitization with a view to curtailing the penchant for addiction especially while at work.