The grave narcotics risk in Kenya, and East Africa, is worsening as the region changes from a transit hub into a major destination. The growing demand for the drugs for local consumption is wrecking the lives of youth as more peddlers engage in large-scale trafficking.
As more people get hooked to the deadly substances, the adverse consequences, including depressive disorders and anxiety, increase. Where drug abuse has taken root, many youth suffer mental illnesses with some reduced to zombies who are no longer productive as they idle away most of the time.
The situation, compounded by increased cultivation of bhang and other drugs, calls for concerted measures to deal with the scourge. There is a need for law enforcement agencies and the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) to also address new trends such as the increased abuse of synthetic substances.
Experts say bhang, which is increasingly being smuggled from neighbouring countries, now is the leading cause of disorders in Africa. In Kenya, one in six people aged 15-65, or nearly five million, use at least one drug or substance of abuse.
Cannabis consumption has increased by 90 per cent in the past five years. Mental illnesses are reportedly on the increase, causing a huge public health burden. The cost of medical treatment is high and beyond the reach of many families whose youthful members get hooked to these drugs.
Also witnessed as a result of the spike in narcotics abuse is an increase in suicides, as well as murders and other vices. There is a need for enhanced creation of awareness of this deadly social evil. It should go hand in hand with enhanced public education and counselling, including those already hooked.
