HYMN NO 4: A NOVEL PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCE CONSUMPTION AMONG IBIBIO YOUTHS OF THE NIGER DELTA REGION

Hymns as a special kind of music, ministered to the soul has impact on the emotional behaviour of those who sing such. Psychoactive substances influenced emotional behaviour as some kinds of music do. Hymn No. 4 according to the context of the study refers to a locally brew of psychoactive substances that contain a mixture of tramadol, marijuana, lemon grass, palm wine, illicit gin (ethanol) and Hollandia yoghurt. This qualitative research work examined the impacts of new and locally brewed psychoactive substance consumption among the youthsof Etinan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Ethnographic study was conducted in selected villages within the study setting. The study relied on qualitative methods of data collection such as in-depth interviews (IDI), key informant interview (KII), participant observation (PO), and focus group discussions (FGDs). Competing narratives from participants were analyzed thematically and presented as excerpts. The researchers made use of Social Learning theory and Differential Association theory as frameworks. Fetterman’s big-net approach was adopted for sampling through which participants were purposively selected to be between 18 and 50 years of age. Findings of the study revealed that the youths are engaging in traditional brew of new combine substance called hymn No. 4; youths through pressure have expanded the moral boundaries through traditions to include acceptability of psychoactive substances such that are locally brewed; youths are considering high emotional satisfaction from consumption of combined psychoactive substances. It was recommended that psychoactive substances should be removed from traditional requirement lists for cultural events in order to lock up the opportunities which the youths have ceased for abuse of psychoactive substances, and community elders should not encourage the collection of alcohol and psychoactive substances for youths as part of tradition in order reduce traditional rights which some youths have used to abuse drugs and other related substances.