OPIOIDS MISUSE, SOCIAL FACTORS, ROLE OF FAMILY AND RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS IN AFRICA
Opioids, ordinarily, are a class of natural, semi-synthetic, and synthetic drugs, like, morphine, codeine, heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, etc., that reduce moderate to severe pain. They can create a sense of euphoria, making them highly addictive and dangerous, with a high risk of abuse, dependence, and overdose. Opioid abuse is increasing in Africa, today, with East Africa reporting the highest number of users (57% of Africa’s total) followed by Southern Africa (28%) West Africa (8%) and North Africa (7%). This is due to some socio-cultural, religious, and family factors like widespread poverty, high unemployment, stigma and discrimination against people who use drugs, poor parental supervision, etc. A situation which is having a devastating effects on Africa, currently, retarding sustainable development in the continent. This research generated data through the primary and the secondary sources. For data analysis and application, the phenomenological and the sociological methods were used. The employment of the neurobiological and the structural functionalism theories of drug use, is for the promotion of authenticity in this study. The general objective of this study is to discourage the misuse of opioids in Africa, while one of the specific purposes is to expose the best ways opioids can be used to improve healthcare in contemporary Africa. This research discovered that opioid misuse causes a lot of health, socio-economic, and political problems like, respiratory depression, domestic violence, economic losses due to reduced productivity, insurgency, etc. It is our recommendation inter alia that the governments of the countries in Africa should enact and carefully implement stringent laws, to address the issues associated with the abuse of opioids in the continent, for improved and quality healthcare in Africa.
Keywords: Opioid, Misuse, Social factors, Family, Religious Institutions