Introduction
Alcohol is a colourless, flammable liquid formed in the fermentation of yeast and used in medicine as a cincture and antiseptic but has its greatest use in drinking (Newona, 1990). Alcohol is the world’s oldest drug fermented grain fruit drink or juice and honey; it is a powerful depressant drug that slows down thinking and reaction time as well as other activities of the brain and spinal cord. Alcohol rapidly enters the blood stream and circulates to all parts of the body with a few minute. When it reaches the brain, it knocks out control centre in the causing intoxication.
Alcoholism is applied to a behavioural disorder characterized by excessive use of alcohol to the extent that it interferes with the physical and mental health. According to Moronkola (2004), the level of alcohol in the blood raises cortical function which makes the individual in judgement, self criticism and tactfulness. Alcohol intake has a social effect on adult and can leads to domestic violence risking sexual behaviour as well as dropping out of school. (Komolake, 2004).
Alcohol abuse is the excessive intake of alcohol without control. Alcohol abuse instigates risking sexual behaviour in people. It is a state of intoxication that exposes people to indulge in risky sexual behaviours. Steele and Joseph (1990) in their Myopia Theory said that alcohol instigates behaviour primarily as a result of its pharmacology effects. Lavry (1985), said alcohol creates a manner of self fulfilling policy. However, students that believe that alcohol promote risking sexual behaviours are more likely to engage in such believe.
Expecting formulation suggest that strength and nature of individual hold believe about alcohol abuse effects should moderate the acute effect of alcohol on risking sexual behaviour among students. It is a general believe that alcohol abuse removes barriers to risking sexual behaviour among students attending night-club. Risking sexual behaviour is defined as any behaviour that increase the probability of unwanted or unplanned pregnancy or contracting of some deadly infections.
There may be many reasons for the relationship between alcohol abuse and risking sexual behaviour (Mataute, 2002). For example, alcohol can act directly on the brain to reduce inhibition and diminish risk perception. However, expectation about the effects of alcohol may exert a more powerful influence on sexual behaviour (Matuate, 2002). The potential effects of alcohol are influenced by the following factors, to mention but a few, culture, religion, personal characteristics and legislation (Briddell & Wilson, 1996).
South Africa is experiencing an increase in the use of various drugs such as alcohol, tobacco and marijuana. Substance abuse is reported to be associated with greater risk behaviour. According to Kalule-Subiti (2007), there has been an increase in the substance abuse and risking sexual behaviour.
According to Cooper (1992), Risking sexual behaviour accounts for large number of opportunities for acquiring HIV infection and alcohol abuse has been shown to increase risky sexual behaviour. Moreover, the social dynamic that surround alcohol abuse and risky sexual behaviour in student attending night-club warrant a search for alternative way of dealing with the problem in diverse socio cultural setting if fermentation is to be effective only by unravelling. The social dynamics of alcohol abuse and risky sexual behaviour among students attending night-club. Can this be achieved? It can be anticipated that the body of knowledge acquired through proved scientifically sound instrument will not only highlight the relevant preventive measure to be adopted but will bring out relevant clinical and experimental research questions to be considered by all disciplines interested in curbing the problem of alcohol abuse and risky sexual behaviour among tertiary institution students attending night-club.
Conceptual framework
According to Newona (1999), alcohol is a colourless, flammable liquid formed during the formation of yeast. In medicine, it is used as a tincture and antiseptic but it’s greatest use is in drinks. Alcohol according to Mena (2003) is a clear drink that is made from corn, barley, grain, rye or a beverage containing ethanol or from raffia palm.
World Health Organization (WHO) (2003), defined alcohol as a pure spirit or wine also called ethanol. The spirituous or intoxication elements of fermented or distilled liquors are more loosely a liquid containing it in a considerable from various vegetable juice and infusion of a saccharine nature which have undergone various fermentations.
Chronology of alcohol abuse among students
Richard (1997) recorded that long before humans began to keep records of any kind, alcohol beverage were valued as food, medicine and ceremonial drink. However, today, individual take beer with dinner or toast newly wedded with champagne or share wine at a religious rituals or festivals. This is a continuation of traditions that have deep roots in the past.
In today’s society, people do not consider alcohol to be drink because it is used all over the world for social events and religious and cultural reasons. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (2010), more than 14 million people in the United States abuse alcohol, which out to or in every 13 adult. It has been found that men tend to be more alcohol dependent than women and studies have shown that younger nonblack men tend to abuse alcohol more than young black men.
The consumption of alcohol is a habit developed consciously among students and adults. Brook (1999) sees alcohol abuse and risky sexual behaviour among students as a progressive and often feta diseases characterized mainly by uncontrollable drinking while George and John (1979) regarded it as abuse of alcohol in the sense that the abusers develop an uncontrollable necessity for continued use regardless of the consequences and at this point, it is chronic, progressive in which the victim is unable to contort the time, place and the quantity of alcohol the individual take that will intern lead to risky sexual behaviour.
Furthermore, Greddes and Groset (2001) described alcohol abuse and risky sexual behaviour among students to be a situation which the victim cannot manage to help him/her self or to function without drinking. Levine, Duffy and Bowyer (1994) stated that people that are 65 years or older tend not to abuse alcohol because of the health risks. As people age they tend not to have as good of reflexes, eye sight, and hearing as when they were younger and when they drink alcohol this thing may be affected. Older people who abuse alcohol feel the effect much sooner putting them at more risk of falling injury or even accidents that may cost their life.
Causes of alcohol abuse and risky sexual behaviour
According to Gon (2007), it is generally believed that habits formation emanated from some background which the individual is closely related. He went further to say that alcohol among students is an habit which is also without doubt subject to the following uses.
- Heredity: Alcohol abuser can inherit this habit from their parents and where they take such habit to the school environment it can influence other student into it. Assum and Suift (1997) came up with a study which shows that 40-60% of alcohol victim came from families where at least one of the parents is an alcoholic who were over protected or over indulged in childhood and in turn of this habit it will now letter lead to risky sexual behaviour in might club if such person is a clublist
- Poor parental care: The role of parents which involves carrying out of moral instruction, discipline health education and setting limits to behaviour is missing. Children now involve themselves in clubbing and alcoholism among many other habits.
According to Kemp and Brown (1989), 80% of students live with only one parent because of divorce problem which leads to difficulty in parent at role modelling by the single parent and because of this, many children grow-up coping wrong habits from their school mates.
According to National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (2010), reviewed increase of alcohol intake and risky sexual behaviour among students may be because society standards have change the way women are suppose to act. Adults may express their anger more or they may act more sexually when they are in the night club and under the influence of alcohol.
Effects of alcohol abuse and risky sexual behaviour among students
Physiological effects
Alcohol depresses the party of the brain responsible for Moto-co-ordination, so it impairs physical balance and causes the individual to stagger. According to Moronkola (2004), as the level of alcohol in the blood rises, cortical functions become impaired so that judgment, self-criticism, awareness of the environment and tactfulness are therefore social and aggressive impulse may be expressed.
Richard (1997) pointed at those physical symptoms as deterioration of eyes functions, reduced bladder control which means frequent urinating, anaemia, damage to the wound because in cause of the sex that took place under the influences of alcohol, pregnancy may occur and it may lead to abortion that can damage the womb, damage to the brain Ethanol the chemical compound present in most alcohol drinks is a neurotoxin that is a substance that can damage or destroy the nervous system. (Gon, 2007). In large quantities, ethanol causes coma and death. The body is able to convert ethanol into harmful substance but this is not accomplished immediately. If alcohol is consumed at a fast rate than the body can handle, it builds up in the system and begins to interfere noticeably with brain function, speech, vision, co-ordination, through and behaviour are all connected with an incredibly complex series of key cells. The presence of ethanol modifies those reactions suppressing or enhancing that relay signals from the neuron. The stream of information in the brain is this altered preventing the brain from functioning normally. That is when a person drinks too much, he/she develops slurred speech, blurred visions, sluggish movement and weakened behavioural restraint as well as having sexual arousal that will lead to risky sex behaviour (WHO, 2003).
Social effects
Alcohol drinkers are notable forgetful, they fail to keep appointment. According to Moronkola (2004), the rate of absent divorce is among the alcoholic student that attend night clubs and other effects such as fighting, failure in exams, they are quick to take offence. Newona (1990) sees this aspect as chronic and that his commitment to alcohol and attendance to night clubs supersedes that to his/her study in school having disregard for personal integrity and eligibility in terms of dressing and attendance to the hospital for termination for unwanted pregnancy and sales of personal belonging such as phones, wrist watches in order for them to purchase more drink and for the female in order for them to have money to terminate the unwanted pregnancy contacted through the risky sex behaviour that took place in the night club for them to be able to continue their schooling, they also sell those belonging to treat disease contacted from those risky sex behaviour in the night club. Komolake (2004) enumerated the following effect of alcohol abuser in the night club.
- Domestic violence: This is a serious physical harm or threat to other students that live in the environment where such abuser lives and even live with them in the same room or hostel.
- Dropping out from school: This is a situation whereby an individual is unable to complete his/her education because of one problem or the other in cause of alcohol abuse and risky sexual behaviour.
- Murder and manslaughter: This is the wilful killing of one human being by another in cause of influence of alcohol.
- Rape: This is the act (of a wan) forcing someone to have sex with against their will or an act of raping a female in the night club when an individual is under the influence of alcohol it can lead to damage to the person in one way or the other during the process of doing it. It can also lead to death.
Solutions to alcohol abuse and risky sexual behaviour among students
The attendance of night clubs and consumption of alcohol among student can be reduced mainly through health education as alcohol consumption as a product of habit should be prevented rather than treated. This is accepted because no known treatment has been effective for permanent rehabilitation healthy education is the part of health care that is concerned with promoting healthy behaviour.
According to Moronkola (2004), describe health education as a concept, discipline, course of study, approach or method by which right health information is made available to people and simultaneously stimulating positive health attitude and practise in them to promote personal and community health.
In the case of alcohol consumption and attendance to night club among students when the individuals get the right information, they are empowered to make reasonable decision and take action which may likely be positive towards alcohol consumption and attendance to night club and they should be done by cancelling of student and mass campaign using the print media such as posters, carrying some of the action that may take place after a high level of intoxication of alcohol in the night club which may likely create the sense of withdrawal from the act of attending the night club and high level of alcohol consumption. Mass campaign should be sustained and followed up by the department of health education at individual and also it should be done from department to department by some of selected group of health educators’ students in the school.
Drug education: The student should know that all drugs have the potential for abuse. It is therefore necessary to educate students on the effect of alcohol when abused, addicted misused and excessively taken on a regular basic in the night club. This should be done through student’s seminar in various departments in the school by health educators (Newona, 1990).
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