Phenomenology of Substance Use Among School-Going Adolescents in Botswana

  Increased rates of alcohol and drugs abuse has been noted among secondary school students in Botswana. We conducted nine student focus groups to elicit motivations for substance use as well as risk and mitigating factors. Participants were purposely sampled from among 2,227 secondary school students surveyed regarding drug/alcohol use in secondary schools. Students were selected for focus group participation based on their scores on the alcohol use and dependency inventory tool (AUDIT) and self-reported risk factors for alcohol/drug use. Students reported that alcohol/drugs are readily available at school and at home. A prominent theme among substance users was inadequate support from parents, who they describe as uncomfortable and unwilling to talk about common issues faced during adolescence, including alcohol/drug use. We identified opportunities to improve the current situation such as renewing efforts to restrict alcohol availability and focusing on parent-child communication interventions