© 2023 by the authors; licensee MJOSBR by Bastas. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Mediterranean Journal of Social & Behavioral Research 2023, 7(2), 59-64 ISSN 2547-8559 (Print) ISSN 2547-8567 (Online) https://www.mjosbr.com/ Research Article Youthful curiosity as a predictor of substance use among students Frank Lamadoku Attila 1 , Kingsley Agyei-Sarpong 1,2 , Joseph Asamoah-Gyawu 1,3 , Augustina Atkinson Dadebo 1,4 * , Emmanuel Eshun 1 , Felicia Owusu 1 , Solomon Jil Barimah 1 1 Department of Guidance and Counselling, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, GHANA 2 Counselling Center, Tamale Technical University, Tamale, GHANA 3 Counselling Center, University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GHANA 4 Counselling Unit, University of Professional Studies, Accra, Accra, GHANA *Corresponding Author: augustina.dadebo@stu.ucc.edu.gh Citation: Attila, F. L., Agyei-Sarpong, K., Asamoah-Gyawu, J., Dadebo, A. A., Eshun, E., Owusu, F., & Barimah, S. J. (2023). Youthful curiosity as a predictor of substance use among students. Mediterranean Journal of Social & Behavioral Research, 7(2), 59-64. https://doi.org/10.30935/mjosbr/12807 ABSTRACT Introduction: Notwithstanding, the reasons that make the youth consume substances at young age are very complex, and many studies conclude that youthful curiosity is a major determining factor that drives them into such behavior. This current study investigated curiosity as a predictor of substance use among senior high school students in Gomoa West District and Effutu Municipality. The study was guided by three research questions. Method: It adopted the quantitative descriptive survey design. Population: A sample of 260 senior high school students were selected using a probability sampling technique for the study. Instruments: It adopted questionnaires on curiosity, substance use risk profile and substances and choices to collect data from respondents. Data analysis: Data gathered were analyzed descriptively using frequencies, percentages and Pearson product- moment correlation. Results: The study found that students were having low levels of alcohol and substance use curiosity. Also, the study revealed that the students’ substance use risk level was moderate. Furthermore, the study revealed a moderate relationship between alcohol and drug use curiosity and substance use risk among students. Recommendations: It was recommended that among other things the management of senior high schools in Gomoa West District and Effutu Municipality should provide guidance and counselling services on substance use and its effects on the youth. Keywords: abuse, curiosity, dependence, drug use, substance use, youth Received: 17 Oct. 2022  Accepted: 27 Dec. 2022 INTRODUCTION An alarming percentage of substance use among the youth in the high school is a reality that, if unchecked, might harm the youth who are in their formative years. The effects of substance use include school dropouts, accidents, fatalities, property damage, moral decadence, improper resource allocation, indiscipline, and worse academic standards. In general, using drugs that alter a person’s mood, thinking, or mental processes is referred to as using substances (WHO, 2019). Psychotic drugs have the potential to cause dependency syndrome, which is a collection of behavioral and physiological symptoms that develop over time. WHO (2020) defines a drug as a chemical that, when smoked, injected, consumed, sipped, or inhaled as powder or vapor, alters a person’s mood, perception, and cognitive behavior. WHO (2014) classifies drugs namely alcohol, tobacco (cigarettes), cannabis, and opioids as illegal drugs. According to WHO (2014), the negative impact of substance use among the youth, particularly in developing countries is a worldwide health issue. WHO estimates that there are two billion regular drinkers, 1.3 billion marijuana and cigarette smokers, and 185 million illicit drug users worldwide. The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the World Bank, and WHO all have positions on the issue of injecting drug users (WHO, 2014), drawing on the most recent data available, jointly estimated that those who inject substances is close to 12.7 million. This corresponds to a prevalence of 0.27% of the population from 15 to 64 years. Based on the most recent information available, it is estimated that 12.7 million persons inject drugs worldwide. This is equivalent to Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, where the prevalence is much high and severe, with the rate of drug use OPEN ACCESS