SAPIENTIA Journal of Philosophy

Substance abuse is a perennial problem plaguing the world. Youths; men, women and teenagers are reported by researches to be involved in abuse of substances which have direct influence on health and wellbeing of the people who abuse them The negative effects of substance abuse ranging from: irregular heart rate, hypertension, cardiovascular system failure, stroke, seizures, respiratory suppression, psychiatric symptoms and suicidal ideation is becoming a global health concern which place great burden on society as it affect the economy, the health care system, threatens job security, public safety, marital and family life. The recent happening in the world has raised pointed fingers at the role of religious leaders in curbing this prevalent issue in the world. Again, the year 2020 came with a cataclysmic pandemic - COVID 19, which compounded the social challenges of the world. The horrendous experience forced the world into a lockdown that restricted movement and impeded economic and social activities. Hence, this survey explores the help strategies used by religious leaders who are the gate keepers of the society in tackling the problem of substance abuse during the COVID 19 lockdown in Uyo Metropolis. Using a purposive sampling method, 200 religious’ leaders from diverse religious traditions were selected from the four clans of Uyo L.G.A to form the population of the study. With a research instrument structured using the 4 point Likert scale, the data reveals that religious leaders in Uyo metropolis adopt help patterns such as spiritual therapy (pastoral counseling and prayers through phone calls, and messages); referrals and recommending substance abuse persons to Community Based Organizations (CBO) for treatments, and online dissemination of information on the dangers of substance abuse. The study further reveals that these help patterns were effective due to the feedbacks the religious leaders got from the patients, caregivers and Community Based Organizations. The study recommends that religious leaders should adopt proactive patterns by venturing into empowerment of youths in order to direct their attention away from substance abuse, while the religious organizations should intensify campaigns against substance abuse within their community of faith. The government and private sectors should be involved in the establishment of counseling centers in major streets in Uyo to create more awareness to the substance users about the negative consequences of substance abuse.

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