Investigation in to the Growing Problems of Alcoholism among Teenagers in Sierra Leone | Chapter 2 | Research Developments in Arts and Social Studies Vol.2

 The goal of this study was to look at the rising problem of alcoholism and binge drinking among youths in Kenema, Sierra Leone. Questionnaires and interview schedules were meticulously created and distributed to 400 people drawn at random from various parts of Kenema City. Teenagers, traders, housewives, and community leaders such as Imams, Pastors, Teachers, elders, and Medical Laboratory Technicians made up the sample size. The structured questionnaire was divided into four sections, each asking for information on the respondent's demographic characteristics or personal information, determining the causes of growing alcoholism and binge drinking problems, assessing and examining the health status/conditions of these teenagers, and examining their awareness of the dangers of alcoholism.

According to the findings of the study, 230 (57.5%) of young people aged 11 to 20 years were actively involved in alcoholism. In terms of alcoholism awareness in the city, 270 (67.5%) of respondents were aware of the problem, whereas 130 (32.5%) had no knowledge of the problem. With so many living houses around the factory, the Sawmill Section, where alcohol was manufactured in the form of Bitter Root drink, had the greatest proportion (95%) within the Kenema city, and with so many dwelling homes around the factory, the locals anticipated a lot of health repercussions.

According to the responses on the health status of those who consume alcohol, hydrated condition accounted for 10 respondents with a percentage of 2.5 percent, dehydrated condition accounted for 271 respondents with a percentage of 67.7%, anaemic condition accounted for 60 respondents with a percentage of 15%, and insanity accounted for 59 respondents with a percentage of 14.7 percent of the respondents in the study area. This indicates that consuming alcohol, even in little amounts, is harmful to our health system; the required percentage of alcohol in the system, according to WHO standards, is 4.5 percent; anything above that figure causes health problems. It was also discovered that persons who consume alcohol in the research region are shunned by the locals.

Author(s) Details:

Khalifa Konneh,
Department of Basic and Environmental Sciences, Eastern Technical University of Sierra Leone, Kenema, Sierra Leone.


Lahai Koroma,
Department of Basic and Environmental Sciences, Eastern Technical University of Sierra Leone, Kenema, Sierra Leone.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/RDASS-V2/article/view/6254