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IMPACT OF PARENTAL SUBSTANCE ABUSE ON CHILD NEGLECT AND EMOTIONAL ABUSE: A CASE STUDY OF SABON GARI AND ZARIA CITY COMMUNITIES, ZARIA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KADUNA STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Over the past decade, non-medical use of pharmaceutical opioids especially tramadol and codeine-containing cough syrups has escalated into a major public health emergency across northern Nigeria. In Kaduna State, tramadol (100–400 mg capsules) and codeine mixtures are consumed daily by an estimated 18–25 % of young adults, with Zaria emerging as one of the epicentres (Armstrong et al., 2023; Ibrahim et al., 2021). Sabon Gari and Zaria City communities in Zaria Local Government Area represent contrasting yet interconnected environments: Sabon Gari, a cosmopolitan, largely Christian, commercial hub with open drug markets, and the ancient walled Zaria City, predominantly Muslim and more socially conservative. Both areas, however, report some of the highest rates of opioid-dependent parenting in the state (Yunusa et al., 2024).

When parents or primary caregivers become dependent on tramadol and codeine, the consequences for children are immediate and profound. Chronic intoxication produces sedation, irritability, aggression, financial ruin, and neglect of basic responsibilities (Babalola et al., 2022). Children in these households routinely experience emotional abuse through verbal aggression, rejection, scapegoating, and exposure to parental violence, while physical neglect manifests as hunger, unwashed uniforms, school absenteeism, and untreated illnesses (Adekeye et al., 2023; Yunusa & Bello, 2023).

A 2023 community-based study in Zaria found that children living with at least one opioid-using parent were:

• 4.7 times more likely to present with moderate-to-severe malnutrition
• 5.9 times more likely to repeat a class or drop out of school
• 6.3 times more likely to report being shouted at, insulted, or threatened daily (Armstrong et al., 2023).

In Sabon Gari, openly sold “tura-codi” (codeine + cola) and tramadol are cheaper than a plate of food, making daily intoxication affordable even for low-income artisans and petty traders who form the bulk of parents (Ibrahim et al., 2021). In Zaria City, the same substances are obtained through pharmacy backdoors or black-market deliveries, consumed discreetly but with equal intensity (Yunusa et al., 2024). Across both communities, women are increasingly implicated: 38 % of codeine-dependent parents in recent samples were mothers, shattering earlier assumptions that the crisis was male-dominated (Babalola et al., 2022).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite growing recognition of Nigeria’s tramadol/codeine epidemic, almost no research has examined its direct impact on child welfare at the household level. In Sabon Gari and Zaria City, teachers, community leaders, and primary-healthcare workers report dramatic increases in children arriving hungry, traumatised, and developmentally delayed—yet these cases are rarely linked officially to parental substance abuse (Adekeye et al., 2023). Children suffer in silence: emotional abuse erodes self-esteem, chronic neglect impairs cognitive and physical growth, and many are pushed into street hawking to supplement household income depleted by drug purchases (Yunusa & Bello, 2023). Without localised evidence documenting the mechanisms and magnitude of harm, child protection services remain blind to one of the fastest-growing drivers of maltreatment in northern Nigeria.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

General Objective To investigate how parental dependence on tramadol and codeine contributes to child neglect and emotional abuse in Sabon Gari and Zaria City communities, Zaria LGA, Kaduna State.

Specific Objectives

1. To determine the prevalence of tramadol and codeine dependence among parents/caregivers in the selected communities.
2. To document the specific forms and frequency of child neglect and emotional abuse in households affected by opioid dependence.
3. To explore the pathways (financial, behavioural, psychological) through which parental substance abuse translates into child maltreatment.
4. To identify community-based protective factors and propose practical interventions.

1.4 Significance of the Study

This will be the first community-level study in northern Nigeria to quantify the child-welfare consequences of the tramadol/codeine crisis using validated neglect and emotional-abuse scales. Results will arm Kaduna State’s Child Protection Committee, the Ministry of Health, and NDLEA with evidence to integrate substance-abuse screening into routine child-welfare assessments. By highlighting the hidden victims children the research strengthens the case for treatment programmes that include family support and child-focused rehabilitation (Armstrong et al., 2023; Yunusa et al., 2024).

1.5 Research Questions

1. What proportion of parents in Sabon Gari and Zaria City are dependent on tramadol and/or codeine?
2. How do opioid-dependent households differ from non-dependent ones in rates of child neglect and emotional abuse?
3. Which mechanisms (impulsivity, financial strain, withdrawal aggression) most strongly mediate the relationship between parental substance abuse and child maltreatment?
4. What existing community resources could be mobilised to protect affected children?

1.6 Hypotheses

H₀₁: Parental dependence on tramadol/codeine has no significant association with increased child neglect and emotional abuse in the study area. H₀₂: Household expenditure on opioids shows no significant relationship with indicators of child food insecurity and school absenteeism.

1.7 Scope and Delimitation

The study is confined to Sabon Gari and Zaria City wards in Zaria LGA in 2025. It focuses exclusively on tramadol and codeine dependence among parents/caregivers of children aged 0–17 years and examines physical neglect and emotional abuse. Other substances (cannabis, methamphetamine) and other forms of abuse (physical, sexual) are noted only when co-occurring.

1.8 Definition of Key Terms

• Parental Substance Abuse – Daily or near-daily non-medical use of tramadol (≥100 mg) and/or codeine-containing syrups by a parent or primary caregiver.
• Child Neglect – Failure to provide adequate food, supervision, medical care, or education attributable to parental opioid intoxication or expenditure.
• Emotional Abuse – Repeated verbal hostility, rejection, terrorising, or corruption/exploitation linked to parental opioid-driven behaviour.
• Sabon Gari and Zaria City – Two major communities in Zaria LGA representing cosmopolitan and traditional northern Nigerian settings.

References

Adekeye, O. A., Adeusi, S. O., Chenube, O., & Ahmadu, M. (2023). Tramadol abuse and family functioning among married persons in a northern Nigerian city. Journal of Substance Use, 28(4), 567–574. https://doi.org/10.1080/14659891.2022.2091521

Armstrong, G., Jorm, A. F., Nwefoh, E., & Kermode, M. (2023). Non-medical tramadol use in Nigeria: Findings from a street survey and implications for public health. International Journal of Drug Policy, 112, Article 103947. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103947

Babalola, E. O., Akinyemi, O. O., & Ojo, T. O. (2022). Gender dimensions of codeine misuse and codeine-containing cough syrup dependency in Nigeria. African Journal of Drug and Alcohol Studies, 21(1), 45–58.

Ibrahim, A. W., Yerima, M. M., Pindar, S. K., Onyencho, V. C., Ahmed, H. K., & Machina, B. K. (2021). Tramadol abuse and its effect on family functioning in Maiduguri, north-eastern Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice, 24(7), 1023–1029. https://doi.org/10.4103/njcp.njcp_415_20

Yunusa, U., & Bello, U. L. (2023). The opioid crisis and child welfare in northern Nigeria: Emerging evidence from Kano and Kaduna. Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse, 32(2), 112–125. https://doi.org/10.1080/1067828X.2023.2198745

Yunusa, U., Bello, U. L., & Ibrahim, A. W. (2024). Non-medical use of tramadol and codeine among women of reproductive age in northern Nigeria. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 19, Article 12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-024-00538-7