NAIROBI, KENYA — The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) has issued a stark warning regarding the escalating trend of synthetic drug use among Kenyan youth.
During the launch of the “Status of Drugs and Substance Use Among University Students in Kenya” report, NACADA CEO Anthony Omerikwa highlighted the growing concern surrounding the prevalence of these substances. He emphasized the significant challenge posed by synthetic drugs, citing their difficulty to detect due to the legal and readily available nature of their chemical precursors.
This alarming trend underscores the urgent need for increased awareness, robust prevention strategies, and enhanced law enforcement efforts to combat the rising tide of synthetic drug use among Kenya’s youth.
“This is like fighting an invisible enemy,” Omerikwa cautioned. “You don’t see it coming, but when you realize it’s around, it’s already too late.”
Omerikwa further emphasized the challenges posed by synthetic drugs, highlighting their difficult detection due to the legal accessibility of their precursor chemicals.
This situation demands a multi-pronged approach, including increased awareness campaigns, robust prevention programs, and strengthened law enforcement measures to combat this growing public health crisis.
“Some of the young people who were in the protests became unexpected inductees into the space of drug use. They were deceived into believing that if they smoked bhang, the effects of tear gas would diminish to near zero,” he noted.
The report revealed a disturbing trend: some individuals apprehended during the protests admitted to using drugs for the first time during these events. This alarming finding underscores the vulnerability of young people during times of social unrest.
Furthermore, Omerikwa warned that drug dealers are exploiting these situations, capitalizing on the heightened tensions and anxieties within protest environments to lure young people into addiction.
This predatory behavior creates a long-term market for illegal substances, perpetuating the cycle of drug abuse within vulnerable communities.
“Unscrupulous merchants of drugs look for every opportunity to entice and get our youth into addiction,” he cautioned.
The report revealed a deeply concerning trend: a staggering 70% of individuals apprehended for drug possession or documented drug use were university students. This alarming statistic emerged from a comprehensive survey conducted in partnership with 17 universities across Kenya’s eight administrative regions, involving over 15,000 students.
NACADA CEO Anthony Omerikwa emphasized the critical importance of these findings. He stated that this data provides a crucial foundation for tracking evolving drug use trends among university students and evaluating the effectiveness of government interventions aimed at curbing this alarming issue.
“This report will inform deliberate measures to either improve what we are already doing or inject new strategies to combat drug use,” Omerikwa explained.
Omerikwa described the findings as a wake-up call for the nation, emphasizing that drug abuse is no longer just a campus issue but a national crisis requiring urgent collective action.
“The findings of this report will make you sit up and take notice,” Omerikwa said. “It reveals a very serious and growing problem of alcohol and drug abuse among the youth, particularly in higher learning institutions.”
To address this critical issue, NACADA has pledged to leverage the study’s findings to inform and refine its drug prevention strategies. Key initiatives include:
- Tailored interventions: Developing and implementing targeted drug prevention programs specifically designed for university students.
- Enhanced awareness campaigns: Launching comprehensive awareness campaigns to educate young people about the dangers of drug abuse and promote healthy lifestyles.
- Promoting positive parenting: Strengthening family support systems by promoting positive parenting practices that foster healthy child development and resilience.
- Multi-sectoral collaboration: Fostering strong partnerships with educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, and community organizations to effectively curb the supply and demand of illicit substances.
By implementing these multifaceted strategies, NACADA aims to effectively combat the rising tide of drug abuse among Kenyan youth and safeguard the future of the nation.
