Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to asses Social Factors Contributing to Students’ Substance Abuse
in Dire Dawa University .This study employed descriptive survey Research design. The
participants of the study were 383 students and 9 key informants. The stratified random sampling
and purposive sampling techniques administered to select students and key informants
respectively. The data were collected by questionnaire, interview and document review. The data
were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, chi-square test, binomial
logistic regression and narrative description. The finding of the study revealed that 66.6% of
respondents abused substance. Male students were highly abuse substance than female students.
Besides, khat was highly abused substance. Majority of the respondents abuse substance usually.
In addition, the study revealed that substance abuse was a leading factor toward illicit drug
abuse. Furthermore, the study indicated that social factors such as family substance abuse
history, peer pressure, availability of substance in close distance around the campus and social
acceptance of substance abuse were highly predictor of substance abuse among students. The
availability of substance had mutual side effect on community and students at the same time. In
firsthand, the easily accessibility of substance were increased the students substance abuse habit
whereas the students with substance abuse were easily imitated by the youngster from the outside
community. Therefore the study, recommend the city administration and other stakeholders
should have to design regulatory law to avoid substance selling out of substances around the campus with close distance and further study should have to conduct on illicit drug abuse.
