Recently, there has been growing concern about mental health and substance abuse among secondary school students and young adults, particularly regarding alcohol consumption and abuse. Various factors contribute to this behavior, including peer pressure, social norms, family influences, and individual factors.
At Pinn Margaret Secondary School in Calabar, peer pressure appears to be a significant factor that influence teenagers who consume or abuse alcohol. During the awareness session, participants expressed that most time they are pressured to drink in order to fit in or gain acceptance from their peers, especially those who are popular in the school or their neighbourhood. Some participants mentioned that they consume alcohol socially, while others do so because it is affordable or because certain brands are marketed as herbal medicinal remedies for stomach upsets or constipation.

Whether alcohol is consumed socially or for medicinal purposes, it is important to discourage alcohol use and consumption among teenagers and adolescents due to the negative outcomes associated with it. These include health risks such as the potential development of alcohol addiction later in life, alcohol poisoning, and impaired judgment, as well as negative effects on academic performance. Alcohol use may also contribute to risky behaviors such as unprotected sex and violence, and it could worsen anxiety issues.
It is expected that 13000 students and teachers from 26 secondary schools will be reached with the right information about mental health and substance misuse.