THE DETERRENTS OF CANNABIS USE AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A CASE STUDY OF ASHESI UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

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Abstract The use of cannabis is prevalent among students in Ghana. According to Today News (2014), statistics from the Narcotic Control Board reveal that out of a total number of 50,000 drug users, 35,000 are students from junior, secondary and tertiary institutions. However, there also exist a good number of students who are not users of cannabis. This research sought to identify factors that deter students, who are non-cannabis users, from using the drug and to rank the factors. These objectives were met by handing out questionnaires to 310 students from Ashesi University College, Berekuso, Ghana. The options to the questions asked in the survey were informed by the deterrents found in literature and the Theory of Planned Behaviour; a theory that categorizes the factors that influence an individual’s decision to adopt or maintain a particular behaviour. The data collected was organized using the PSPP software and analyzed with Descriptive Statistics, Chi-Square Tests and Factor Analysis. It was found out that most students rated health threats as their most important disincentive to using cannabis. In view of this, an educational campaign on the negative effects of cannabis on mental and physical health using multi-sectorial approach is recommended to reduce if not eliminate the abuse of cannabis among the youth in Ghana. 

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