We explored sources of psychoactive substances in public secondary schools and the means through which adolescents obtain those substances. 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. 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. 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.
Keywords: Sources and means, Uganda, psychoactive substances, public schools, school adolescents
