An International .Journal
of Psychology in Africa
Vol. 15 No.1, 2007
Published by the Ife Centre
for Psychological Studies
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
IFE
PSYCHOLOGIA
An International Journal, Volume 15 No.1, 2007
Published by:
Ife PsychologIA (RC 011934)
Ife Center for Psychological Studies
P.O. Box 1548, Ile-Ife,
Osun State, Nigeria.
&
PSYCHOLOGIA (GHANA) LTD. (RC 83,305)
P.O. Box UC146 .
"''' University of Cape Coast
10' Cape Coast
Ghana
j
------ ---- -~
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
ISSN:1117 - 1421 '
PRINTED BY: PSYCHOLOGIA (GHANA) LID (RC 83,305)
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
VOLUME Fifteen ISSN 1117-1421
NUMBER ONE CONTENTS MARCH,2007
NAME OF AUTHORS PAGE TITLE OF ARTICLES
EDITORIAL i
CONTENTS iii
KESTER, K. O. & 1 Broadening Labour Relations Beyond
OGUNYINKA, K. O. the Formal Sector: The Challenges of
the Informal Sector In Nigeria
A. A. ADESINA 12 Some Psychosocial Predictors of
O.A.AFOLABI& Anxiety Disorder in Epilepsy.
R. O.OHWOJERO
B.O. OLLEY 25 Is Dried Paw-Paw Leaf A Psychoactive
Substance?
RACHEL B. ASAGBA 40 . Sex, Marital Status and Family
Setting Variables on Inner Meaning
Fulfilment among Students of the
University of Ibadan
ONYEONORU I.P. & 53 A Multivariate Analysis of Adolescent
ADEBOYE-J.O A. T. Sexual Behaviour in SouthWesternNigeria
BUCHl OPARAH . 77 Therapeutic Relationship Versus
Boundary Transgressions: Lessons
For Helping Professionals.
NDOM, R.J.E, 87 Anxiety and Adaptive Behaviour of
t>NAKOYA, A.Y Fresh Students: A Case Study of
&AREMUF.O Co.venant University Ota, Ogun State.
WISDOM K. HORDZI 98 Analysis of the Behaviour of Distance
Education Students during
Examinations
...
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
IYOHA, F.O. 113 The Ethical Reasoning Process
ADEYEMO, KINGSLEY of Auditors in AClient's Confidential
Matters: A Focus on Nigeria '
R.A. ANIMASAHUN 128 Measured Effect of Emotional Intelligence
Education in the Remediation of Aggressive
Behaviours among the Members of The
NURTW in Ibadan Metropolis ..
liUBERT O. QUIST 141 Social Skills Development among
SIMON ODEI NYARKO Children with Mental Retardation
PROSPER DEKU and Its Implications for Educational
Policy and Management: A Study of
Five Special Schools in Ghana
HUSSAIN ALl 152 The Role of Public Library Services in
Societal Empowerment
BOLA OGUNYEMI 173 Self-Efficacy, Emotional Stability and
SESAN OLA. MABEKOJE Mental Health as Predictors of Risk
Taking Behaviour among Nigerian
University Undergraduates:
Implications for Human Development
OYESOJI AREMU, A. 193 The Nigeria Police and Zero
Corruption Tolerancei The Function
of Emotional Intelligence
G.E.ABIKOYE 213 Subjective Quality of Life among
Caregivers of Mentally III Persons in
SouthWestern Nigeria
ALABA SIMPSON 227 Addressing the Anthropogenic Causes
of Floods: The Lagos Experience
Book Review 237
Accolades 238
ASample of ReviewNotes 241
Ulrich International Directory 244
Reach Us 245
Sabinet Online 246
Invitation to Subscribe 247
ICePsychologlA iac LAZ0119341 248
ICePsychologia: 249
An International Journal
African Journal Online 250
NIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
IS DRIED PAW-PAW LEAF A PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCE?
B.O. OLLEY
Department of Psychology,
Faculty of Sooial. Science,
University of Ibadan, Ibadan.
Abstract
While many studies have looked at the prevalence and pattern
as well as effects of drug abuse and dependence among Nigerians,
the use of dried paw-paw leaf as a psychoactive substance has not
been investigated. This study examines the attitude and perception
towards dried paw-paw leaf as -a psychoactive substance among
purposive sampled drug users who were all students of the University
of Ibadan, Nigeria. A cross-sectional design involving both a
qualitative and quantitative approach was used to elicit information
from five hundred (SOD)purposive respondents. There were two
hundred and ninety-six (59.2%) males and two hundred and four
(40.8%) females. Males age ranges from 16 - 28 years (24.6 ± 5.4),
while female age ranges from 19 - 24 years (21.6 ± 4.2). Mean years
of education for males was 15.3, ± 3.8, while mean years of education
for females was 14.9, ± 2.1. Results indicated that 65.6% of the
sample agreed that paw-paw leaf is a commonly used stimulant while
50.6% agreed that it could be used and have the same effect of a
psychoactive substance. About fortu-four percent (43.4%) of the
respondents agreed that dried paw-paw leaf could produce the same
effects as cannabis, while 32.4% of the respondents agreed that dried
paw-paw leaf could produce the same effects as cocaine or heroin.
Forty-eight percent (48.4%) believed that dried paw-paw leaf is a
commonly used drug among youths in Nigeria while 39.5%
acknowledge one of their friends that had used dried paw-paw leaf
55.8% believed that dried paw-paw leaf as a psychoactive substance
is not strange in Nigeria while 53.3% agreed that dried paw-paw leaf
could be dangerous to ones health. Forty-seven percent of the
respondents indicated to have ever used dried paw-paw leaf while
44.8% believed that one could be physically dependent on the drug.
45. 6% equally believed that one could be psychologically dependent
on dried paw-paw leaf
The findings were discussed within the social consequence
point of view and a need for further investigation in that regard.
25
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Ife PsychologIA
Introduction
Nigerian drug abuse scene has witnessed a tremendous and
remarkable progress in the past four decades. With over two
hundred published works to date (CRISA, 1996), contemporary
Nigerian researchers have consistently documented high rate of
cannabis, cocaine, heroin and alcohol as drugs with high risk of
abuse among Nigerians (Odejide, 2000; PIMRAT,2000). Their usage
and dependence cut across ethnic, social class, gender as well as
age, with substantial reported health consequences [Odejide, 2000;
Olley & Ajiteru, 2001).
,
Apart from these major reported psychoactive substances,
drugs such as amphetamines, arid some other psychotropic drugs,
which include benzodiazepine and the barbiturate, have also
received documented evidence as drugs of abuse (Odejide, 1982;
ICAA, 1988; Gureje & Obikoya, 1991; Gureje & Olley, 1992; Ohaeri
& Odejide, 1993).
A potential drug of abuse in Nigeria, which is dearth in its
documentation and perhaps empirically under reported , is the dried
paw-paw leaf. Findings from a recent study (PIMRAT,2000) revealed
dried paw-paw leaf as a probable and possibly a drug of abuse. For
example, 25% of secondary school pupils and 17.9% of area boys
(Street urchins) were found to have commonly used dried paw-paw
leaf in Ibadan. Similarly in a community based study of patterns of
psychoactive substance use among street children, it was indicated
that a majority (56%) of the youths are aware of the existence of
paw-paw leaf as a psychoactive substance, 23% know about its
availability and 2% had ever used it or are currently using it
(Morakinyo & Odejide, 2003). In a recently documented report, it
was suggested that dry paw-paw leaf could have a stimulating effects
when smoked and may emerged as a substitute or alternative
substance of abuse in place of cannabis (Odejide, 2000).
The fresh paw-paw leaf is a commonly used medicinal
substance in traditional African societies as an herb for curing
numerous ailments. It contains a watery-white sap in which is a
proteolytic ferment of distinct enzymes. In southern Senegal, a part
of dry paw-paw leaves is used for young girls suffering from ailment
of fatigue experienced from menstrual cycle. The bark of the paw-
paw tree is also used as an antidote for venoms of snake bite and
rabies from dogs (Gibbs, 1965). In Ivory Coast, it is used as infusion
in case of difficult child-birth and also effective in treating hernia
-and infection of the urino-genital system. In Nigeria, water from the
paw-paw leaf can be expressed by crushing in herbal form cooked,
26
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Olley, B: Dried Pawpaw Leaf a Psychoactive Substance?
or uncooked for the treatment of diabetes and malaria (Gibbs, 1965).
In Gabon, the leaves may sometimes be mixed with other leaves in
preparation of fish-poison. Also, it is used as soap-substitute for
laundering purposes. In Guinea, it is used to preserve a newly killed
animal. In Sierra Leone, _the leaves are known to form effective
bleach when soaked with clothe for some hours. Similar usage is
recorded in Ghana and some part of East Africa (Gibbs, 1965).
As drug of abuse in Nigeria, the paw-paw leaf is dried under
the sun, and crushed, rapped and then smoked. It is believed that it
-gives a stimulant effect as that of cannabis leaves and can be
prepared in pepper soup, porridge or tea. Cannabis dependent
patients admitted for treatment in S9!Ile psychiatric facilities in
Nigeria have been observed to sneak out of the ward to smoke dried
paw-paw leaf (Odejide, 2000). The question that has aroused the
intellects of contemporary researchers in Nigeria is the extent of use
and abuse of dried paw-paw leaf as a psychoactive substance. How
is paw-paw leaf perceived among young adults? Is it a widely known
psychoactive substance? Is the dried leaf capable of instituting
dependence? What is the place of gender in this perception?
The goal of this study is to describe the perception and
attitude of participants towards a rather relatively speculative dried
paw-paw leaf as a psychoactive substance among current drug users
in the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. We approached this task by
rigorously defining the concept and thereafter examining opinions
and beliefs associated with the usage of the substance.
Methods
Subject and Setting
This study adopted a purposive target group of students
found at the various relaxation joints available within the University
of Ibadan, (UI) Ibadan Oyo-State, Nigeria. These joints are places
where alcohol and sometimes cannabis are freely used; they are
likened to a typical city bar, and serve as a meeting point for
gangsters and sub-cultural groups on the campus. Structurally, the
joints are basically made up of makeshift cut down bamboo trees
where food or pepper soup may also be served. More than ten of
such places are all over the campus. The adoption of this method
was to reduce a no response posture by some students who may not
have heard about paw-paw leaf and therefore may not be in a
position to give a true picture of the substance. This method also
helps in reducing high attrition rate often common in such sensitive
27
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Ife P6YchologIA
social concerns. The assumption for this method is further
anchored by the belief that the use of paw-paw leaf may be popular
.among tobacco and cannabis users who may at times use paw-paw
leaf as a drug of initiation to higher stimulating drugs or as an
alternative to other substances which may not be readily available
due to lack of funds to purchase them. Paw-paw leaf is available
almost everywhere in Nigeria and there is no restriction either legally
or culturally against its cultivation and use. It is therefore a cheap
and readily available substance.
Study Design and Questionnaire
A cross-sectional design involving both a qualitative and
quantitative approach was adopted for this study. The study was
conducted in three phases.
Phase I: Focus Group Discussions
Through a snowballing strategy of identifying individual
students who are current users of tobacco or cannabis, a ten-group
member, all male, was constituted for the Focus Group Discussions
(FGD). The FGIi)guide contained questions to explore beliefs about
paw-paw leaf; it's medicinal or herbal usage, its nutritional value as
well as its perceived usage among drug abusers. It was basically a
fact-finding exercise, which involved clarifications on issues
surrounding the use of drugs generally and paw-paw leaf in
particular.
The discussion which lasted for about 120 minutes was
stimulating and lead by a research assistant who himself is a
tobacco user and the other researcher served as facilitator/secretary
and observer. The content and theme analysis of the group
discussions informed the subsequent structured questionnaire used
for the second phase of the study.
Phase II: Pre-Testing of Questionnaire
From the FGD findings, we generated twenty-one item
questions. The 21-items were developed into a5-Likert-type format,
knowledge and attitudinal scale. Individual subjects were to
respond to the items in relation to his/her degree of agreement,
which ranges from Strongly Agree with a score of 5, Agree, a score of
4, Undecided, a score of 3, Disagree, a score of 2 and Strongly
Disagree a score of 1. The scoring was done in such a manner that
highest numbers indicated greater knowledge, with a favorable
disposition to the use of dried paw-paw leaf.
28
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Olley, B: Dried Pawpaw Leaf a Psychoactive· Substance?
The 21-item scale was pre-tested among fifty accidental
sampled respondents met at the joints. Efforts were made not to
include the participants of the FGD sessions. This was simply made
possible by asking them if they had filled any and similar
questionnaire in a previous survey.: The questionnaires were filled
on the spot and collected back. Group influence on the filling of the
questionnaire was prevented by simple counseling and by
highlighting the importance and usefulness of the study. Individual
respondents who were perceived to 'be under heavy intoxication of
alcohol and/ or cannabis were excluded. The entire fifty
questionnaires were returned and analyzed.
An item-total correlation statistical analysis to reduce
redundant items variable was adopted. It was possible to come up
with an ll-item questionnaire, which constituted the survey
instrument. The instrument had a split half reliability of (r =0 .69 P
< 0.05) and a Cronbach Alpha of (r = 0.65 p< 0.05). Some of the
items included are: "Paw-paw leaf is· a commonly used stimulant",
paw-paw leaf has the same effect as cocaine or heroin. "The use of
paw-paw leaf can be dangerous to ones health".
Phase In: Survey
A quantitative survey of 500 individual respondents was
undertaken. They were approached at the five major
drinking/relaxation locations on the campus of the U.I. They were
consecutively recruited based on an informed consent. Almost all
the approached respondents agreed to participate in the study with
few potential respondents declining. Additional information
concerning basic demographic data such as age, gender, years of
education and religion and faculty of study was incorporated in the
questionnaire. Questionnaire were filled and collected on the sport.
Efforts were made to exclude those that were involved in the other
phases of the study and those that were approached earlier in the
survey were not allowed to fill twice. This procedure continued for
several weeks until five hundred respondents were surveyed.
Data Analysis
Content analyses of the 11 items attitudinal to paw-paw leaf
were carried out. Mean, standard deviations, bivariate analysis
using the Pearson product moment correlation was also made. The
statistical package for the social sciences SPSS version 6.1 was used
for the entire analysis.
29
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Ife PsychologIA
Results
Demographic Characteristics
Table 1 shows the demographic characteristics of the
subjects by gender. There were two hundred and ninety-six (59.2%)
males and two hundred and four (40.8%) females. The age range for
male is from 16 - 28 years (24.6 ± 5.4), while female age ranged from
19 - 24 years (x 21.6 ± 4.2). Mean years of education for males was
15.3, SD 3.8, while mean years of education for females was 14.9, ±
2.1. Eighty-three (28%) males are Muslims, while one hundred and
eighty (60.8%) are Christians. Twenty-one (7.1%) males' are
traditional worshippers while twelve males (4.1%) are atheist. Forty-
nine (24%) of females are Muslims, one hundred and seventy (67.2%)
are Christians and fourteen (6.9%) embrace the traditional mode of
worship. Four (2%) females are atheist. Ninety-eight (33.1%) of the
males at the time of study were pursuing various courses within the
core sciences faculty, while one hundred and twenty (40.5%) males
are from the social sciencesy humanities.. Nineteen (6.4%) of the
males are in the medical faculty, while thirty-four (11.5%) males are
from the Faculty of Technology. Twenty-five (8.4%) males are from
the Faculty of Agriculture. For the females, seventy-two (35.3%) are
from the core Sciences Faculty. Sixty-nine (33.8%) are from the
Social Sciences/Humanities, while twenty-six (12.7%) are from the
College of Medicine. Seventeen (8.3%) females are from the Faculty
of Technology, while twenty (9.8%) are from the Faculty of
Agriculture.
Perception and Usage of Dried Paw-paw Leaf
Table 2 shows the perception and usage of dried paw-paw
leaf as a psychoactive substance among male and female drug users.
A substantial cumulative percentage of both genders agree
that dried paw-paw leaf is a commonly used drug of abuse among
students' drug users. Approximately equal number of males (66.5%)
and females agreed that dried paw-paw leaf is a commonly used
stimulant. 55.7% of males and 43.2%s of females respectively agree
that paw-paw is used as a psychoactive substance. 43.9% of males
and 42.7% of the females agree that dried paw-paw leaf produce the
same stimulating effects like cannabis. A lesser percentage (30.4%)
of males and 35.3% of females however agreed that dried leaf
produce a stimulating effect as cocaine and heroine. 50.4% of males
and 45.6% of females respectively agreed that dried paw-paw leaf is
a commonly used psychoactive drug in Nigeria. 40.9% of males and
30
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Olley, B: Dried Pawpaw Leaf a Psychoactive Substance?
35.8% of females indicated knowledge of one of their friends who use
dried paw-paw leaf as a psychoactive substance. 58.4% of males
and 41.9% females believed that usage of dried paw-paw leaf, as s»
psychoactive substance is not strange in Nigeria. 58.4% of the
males and 45.6% of the females respectively agreed that dried paw-
paw leaf is dangerous to one's health. 47.3% of males and 46.6% of
females indicated a life-time use of dried paw-paw leaf. 48.4% of
males and 39.7% of females agreed that users of dried paw-paw leaf
could be 'physically dependent on the drug. 46.7% of males 'and
42.6% of females agreed that users of dried paw-paw could be
psychologically dependent on the drug .
.Table 3 showed the combined male and female subjects
perception and usage of dried paw-paw leaf as a psychoactive
substance in Nigeria. An overall 65.6% agreed that paw-paw leaf is
a commonly used stimulant while 50.6% agreed that it could be
used as a psychoactive substance: 43.4% of the respondents agreed
that dried paw-paw leaf could produce the same effects as cannabis
while 32.4% of the respondents agreed that dried paw-paw leaf could
produce the same effects as cocaine or heroine. 48.4% believed that
dried paw-paw leaf is a commonly used drug among youths in
Nigeria while 39.5% acknowledge one of their friends that had used
dried paw-paw leaf. 55.8% believed that dried paw-paw leaf as a
psychoactive substance is not strange in Nigeria while 53.3% agreed
that dried' paw-paw leaf could be dangerous to ones health. Forty-
seven percent of the respondents indicated a life use of dried paw-
paw leaf i.e. they have used it at least once in their life time, while
44.8% believed that one could physically be dependent on the drug.
45.6% equally believed that one could psychologically be dependent
on dried paw-paw leaf.
Discussion
From the various reported findings, it is obvious that dried
'paw-paw leaf is indeed a drug of abuse in Nigeria and should
therefore be further investigated. These investigations should
attempt to determine the tolerant effects as well as the extent of
usage and abuse in a larger cross-sectional survey. A substantial
number of the respondents (65.6%) agreed that dried paw-paw leaf is
a commonly used drug in Nigeria. It therefore further irritates
empirical investigation regarding the nature of the use of dried paw-
paw leaf as a psychoactive substance among contemporary
researchers and health policy makers. Furthermore a substantial
part of the respondents (44.8%) affirmed a life-time usage of the drug
31
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
1/. PsychologIA
and (43.4%) agreed that, it produces the same effects as Indian
hemp/cannabis when used. Some (32.4%) even affirmed that it
could produce the same effect as in cocaine or heroin. Whether
these assertions from the respondents are actual feelings or are just
a psychological feeling of the effects of dried paw-paw leaf remains
unclear. It is envisaged that an empirical scientific investigation
would rationalize the true effects.
Drug study has come along way in Nigeria. This study in
support of an existing and enriched drug literature confirmed that
the youth population particularly the males are at risk group for
drug related dependents. More males reported a more favorable
attitude- towards the use of the drugs. It further confirms. what
appears to be a trace but an unclear report of the prevalence of dried
paw-paw leaf in a recently documented epidemiological survey of the
current trend of drug dependence in Ibadan, Nigeria (Pimrat, 2000).
In addition, this study confirmed the increasing number of
females particularly in higher institutions of learning who use
psychoactive substances (Ohaeri & Odejide 1993; Odejide 2000;
Pimrat, 2000; Olley & Ajiteru, 2001).
Though, age at onset of abuse was not sought, it was obvious
that most of the respondents may have started the use of dried paw-
paw leaf earlier in age. This contention is supported when one
compares the mean age of both gender to be 24.6 and 21.6
respectively and the reported number of 44.8% of lifetime use. One
is therefore made to believe that the age of commencement of the use
of dried paw-paw leaf should have been earlier. The implication for
this finding is that dried paw-paw leaf may have been used at the
initiation phase of the respondent's drug history. Suffice it to say
that the respondents may have used dried paw-paw leaf as an
alternative to other drugs or as a brief stray from the real drug of
abuse. This contention is supported, as it is obvious from the
sampling procedure that the respondents are multiple drug users
and therefore dried paw-paw leaf may have been used as part of
their drug behaviors.
Another finding of great concern in this study is the
substantial number of respondents (53.3%) who believed that dried-
paw-paw leaf is dangerous to health. This contradicts the medicinal
as well as the herbal efficacy paw-paw leaf is known for in the
African health delivery system. Could there be a pharmacological
difference between dried, processed and smoked paw-paw leaf and
the raw leaf of paw-paw when used either singularly or in
combination with other leaves in the herbal preparation? A further
32
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Olley, B: Dried Pawpaw Leaf a Psychoactive Substance?
confirmation of this finding .is required by anthropologist who may
tend to examine the cultural origin of the use of the drugs. By and
large, there are important limitations to the present endeavor. First,
the respondents were recruited accidentally and at different times
during the period of data collection. This recruitment procedure
could confound the time of sampling leading to familiarity among
prospective respondents. Secondly, since some of the respondents
were approached in groups; the effects of social facilitation in
responding to the questionnaire cannot be totally ruled out. This
study is also limited in· the number of social variables available for
analysis. I Future research should consider more number I of
variables._
Nevertheless, an important strength to this work is that, it
provides an insight into a rather unfamiliar drug of abuse among
young drug users in Nigeria and therefore among the very few
studies that might have been attempted in documenting prevalence
and pattern of dried paw-paw leaf as a psychoactive substance used
in Nigeria. .
Exploring further through in-depth interviews with current
substance abusers may shed more light on the true psychoactive
effect of Paw-paw leaf. Efforts will be concentrated among cannabis
users who may have alternated dried paw-paw leaf with cannabis or
with other drugs or who might have use it as a single drug of abuse.
Phenomena such as euphoric feelings after usage, tolerance level,
and withdrawal symptoms if.not in use will be explored.
Presently, usage of dried paw-paw leaf could be at best ..an
empirical artifact where attitudinal opinion about it has just been
expressed and documented .
. '.,
33
e ,
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
lIe PsychologIA
Table 1: Demographic Characteristics of the Study
Pop'ul"abon
MALES (N = FEMAl-ES (N =
296) 204)
Mean Age (Years) 24.6 ± 5.4* 21.6 ± 4.2
Mean Years- of Education 15.3 ± 3.8 14.9±2.1
(Years)
Religion 83 (28%) 49 (24%)
Islam 180 (60.8%) 107, (67.2%)
Christianity 21 (7.1%) 14 (6.9%)
Traditional 12 (4.1%) --4 (2%).
Atheism
Faculty 98 (33.1%) 72 (35.3%)
Sciences 120 (40.5%) 69 (33.8%)
Social Sciences/Humanities 19 (6.4%) 26 (12.7%)
Medicine 34 (11.5%) 17 (8.3%)
Technology 25 (8.4%) 20 (9.8%)
\
Agriculture
P 5 0.05, by X2 - test
34
_J
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Olley, B: Dried PtIJDPGWLeaf a Paychoactiue Substance?
Table 2: Perception and Usage of Dried Paw-paw Leaf as
Psychoactive Substances by Gender
FEMALES
MALES. (N = 204)
STATEMENT
{N-2961
8D D U A 8D D U A 8A
% 0/0 % % 8A % % % % %
%
L Dried paw-paw 9.1 9.8 14.5 36.8 29.7 6.4 10.3 19.1 43.1 21.1
leaf i. a
commonly
used stlmulant
-
2. nded paw-paw 7.8 13.9 22.6 40.2 15.5 10.8 15.7 30.4 30.9 12.3
leaf ts ullfid a8
a psychoactive
substance
3. Dried paw-paw 12.5 18.2 25.3 25 18.9 8.8 18.6 29.9 27.5 15.2
leaf produces
same effect as ,
India ,
hempl cannabis
4. Dried paw-paw 17.9 23.3 28.4 20.3 10.1 14.2 22.5 27.9 24.5 10.8
leaf has lame
effect a8 : ..
eeeatae or
heroin -.7
5. The use of 9.8 17.9 22 36.5 13.9 9.8 19.1 2.5.5 29.9 15.7
dried paw-paw
leaf as a
atlmulant drug
is common
amonl youth
in Nigeria
6. I know 13.5 17.2 28.4 27.7 13.2 12.7 20.1 31.4 26- 9.8
someone who
use. dried paw-
paw leaf •• a
psychoactive
35
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
substance J
Bearm, the 7.8 15.2 18.6 39.5 18.9 6.9 22.5 18.6 38.2 13.7
use of dried .
paw-paw leaf as
a psychoactive '"
·subatance is i"
not straD.le
The use of dried 10.8 13.9 16.9 35.8 22.6 10.3 19.6 24.5 24 21.6
paw-paw leaf as
'a stimulant
could be
dangerous cto
ones health .- It
I have used 11.8 12.8 28.0 26.4 20.9 9.8 15.7 27.9 31.4 15.2
dried paw-paw
at least ones in
my life-time.
Someone could 9.1 20.3 22.3 34.8 13.5 11.3 21.6 27.5 24.5 15.2
get hooked and
physically
dependent on
dried paw-paw
leaf
Someone could 13.5 14.9 24 31.8 15.9 12.3 17.6 27.5 24 18.6
get hooked and
psychologically l
dependent on i
dried paw-paw
leaf
It P < .02, df 4)(':J
SO a Strongly Disagree; 0 ""Disagree; U = Undecided; A = Agree; SA
= Strongly Agree in parenthesis
36
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Olley, B: Dried Pawpaw Lea,{ a Psychoactive Substance?
Table 3: Perception and Usage of Dried Paw-paw Lea£ as
Psychoactive Substance (N = 500)
STATEMENT SD SD D U A SA
M 0/0 % 0/0 0/0 %
1. Dried paw-paw 3.65 1.19 8 10 16.4 39.4 26.2
leaf is a
commonly used
stimulant
2. Dried paw-paw 3.32 1.15 9 14.6 25.8 36.4 14.2
leaf is used as a
psychoactive ..-
substance
3. Dried paw-paw 3.20 1.24 11 18.4 27.2 26 17.4
leaf produces
same effect as
Indian
hemp / canna bis -
4. Dried paw-paw 2.87 1.22 16.4 23 28.2 22 10.4
leaf has same
effect as cocaine
or heroin
5. The use of dried 3.25 1.19 9.8 18.4 23.4 33.8 14.6
paw-paw leaf as
a stimulant
drug is common
among youth in
Nigeria
6. I know someone 3.05 1.20 13.2 18.4 29.6 27 11.8
who uses dried
paw-paw leaf as
a psychoactive
substance
7. Hearing the use 3.39 1.17 7.4 18.2 18.6 39 16.8
of dried paw-
paw leaf as a
psychoactive
substance is
37
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
lfe Psyc:hologIA
not strange
8. The use of dried 3.38 1.2 10.6 16.2 20 31 22.2
paw-paw leaf as
a stimulant
could be •... t
dangerous to ~-
ones health .'
9. I have used, 3.29 1.23 11 14 28 28.4 18.6
dried paw-paw
at least ones in I
my life-time. ~-
10. Someone could 3.18 1.20 10 20.8 24.4 30.6 14.2
get hooked and
physically J
dependent on
dried paw-paw
leaf
11. Someone could 3.20 1.26 13 16 25.4 28.6 17.0
get hooked and
psychologically
dependent on
dried paw-paw
leaf
* Legend: M == Mean; SD = Standard Deviation; SD == Strongly
Disagree; 0 = Disagree; U == Undecided; A = Agree; SA == Strongly
Agree in parenthesis.
38
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Olley, B: Dried Pawpaw Leaf a Psychoactive Substance?
References
Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse (CRISA)
(199.6): Drugs and the Nigerian Society. (Eds). Obot, 1.S.
A Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography.
Gibbs, J.L. (1965): People of Africa: Holt Rinehart and Winston, Inc.
New York.
Gureje, O. & Obikoya, B. (1991): Psychotropic drug use in an urban
primary care unit. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatfic
Epidemiology, 26(3), 143 - 146.
Gureje, O. & Olley, B.O. (1992): Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Nigeria:
A Review of the Literature. Contemporary Drug
Problems, Vol. 19, No.3, pg 491 - 504.
International Council on Alcohol and Addiction (1988): Report of a
Research Project on Substance Abuse in Some Urban and
Rural Areas of Southern Nigeria. Lausane.
Odejide, A.O. (1982): Pattern of psychotropic drug use: A survey of
civil service workers in Ibadan, Nigeria. In report of the
working group on the use and abuse of psychotropic
substances in developing countries with special reference
to Benzodiazepines. (pp. 34 - 43). Tangiers, Morocco:
International Council on Alcohol and Addictions.
Odejide, A.O. (2000): Substance Abuse Research in Nigeria: Where
We Are And Where We Are Going. Guest Lecture
Delivered at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
University of Ibadan, Ibadan Nigeria.
Ohaeri, J.U. and Odejide, A.O. (1993): Admission for drug and
alcohol related problems in Nigerian psychiatric care
facilities in one year. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 31,
101 - 109.
Olley, B.O. and Ajiteru, A.A. (2001): Determinants of Alcohol use
among female University students in Nigeria. Journal of
the Social Sciences. 5, No.3, pg. 25 - 31.
Post-Graduate Institute for Medical Research & Training (PIMRAT)
(2000): National Epidemiologic Survey on the Use of
Psychoactive substances in Nigeria. A Pilot Study. An
Unpublished Manuscript.
39
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY