Substance Abuse and Criminality: A Study of Youths in Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State Nigeria

The increasing rate of criminality among youths in Kaduna North local government area of Kaduna State, Nigeria has necessitated the need to examine the relationship that exists between substance abuse and criminality in the area. Hence, the aim of this study is to examine the relationship between substance abuse and criminality in Kaduna North local government area. The study adopted the Subculture Theory. The research sample a total of three hundred and ninety-two (392), which were obtained through the snowballing method. The data was analyzed using simple percentage tables, cross-tabulation, and Chi-square, which are contained in SPSS Version 20. The following were the findings of this study: Youths who consume substances frequently are more likely to be involved in crime than those who consume less. This also means that youth involvement in crime is influenced by their daily usage of substances. The study recommends that restrictions should be put on the sale of drugs. Government should pass laws that will stiffen the penalty for criminality that is influenced by substance use so that that will serve as deterrent to others. Keywords: Substance Abuse, Criminality, Youths