Affiliation:
1. Institute for Therapy and Health Research, Kiel, Germany
2. Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria
3. Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
Abstract
Drug normalization has been researched extensively in the West. Yet, we know little about how drug use is normalized in non-Western contexts. Drawing on interviews with young adults, this study is the first to explore illicit drug normalization in Nigeria. Cannabis was widely available and easy to access and students were part of the supply chain. Citing therapeutic and functional benefits, participants normalized cannabis consumption, using it to prepare soup, noodles, and birthday cakes. Unlike women, who may give up cannabis use due to stigmatization and marriage, men had no plans to stop its use. Gender determined drug-taking practices and social accommodation of drug users, suggesting differentiated normalization. Men who used cannabis were accommodated by their peers, unlike women, who were stigmatized by female non-users. In general, the findings highlight a shift in illicit drug use practices and noticeable gendered and differentiated social accommodation among peers, although cultural acceptance of illegal recreational drugs remains at the margin.
Funder
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Subject
Psychiatry and Mental health,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health,Health (social science),Medicine (miscellaneous)
Cited by
31 articles.
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