Sources and Means of obtaining Psychoactive Substances among Adolescents in Public Secondary Schools in Uganda: A Qualitative Approach.

Abstract

Aim: We explored sources of psychoactive substances in public secondary schools and the means through which adolescents obtain those substances. 

Methods: The study was qualitative and exploratory, using purposive sampling of participants. We employed thematic content analysis, a phase by phase manipulation of thematic categories of data to obtain common themes.

Results: Findings show that small shops, kiosks and bars around schools were the major sources of psychoactive substances talked about by most of the FGDs (83.3%). Most FGDs also rationalized that some “bold†students escape from schools to procure psychoactive substances.

Conclusion: This study underscores the role of businesses in school neighborhoods as sources of psychoactive substances in public schools. Students employ a variety of means/strategies of obtaining psychoactive substances, and to a bigger extent they escape from school to access the substances.