Ahadi Kenya: Why drug abuse, alcoholism is high among the youth

By Robert Mutasi

Ahadi Kenya Trust has listed a number of things it says have contributed to the rising number of youths involved in drug abuse and consumption of alcohol.

Ahadi Kenya Trust Founder Stanley Kamau says most of the youths engage in drug abuse and alcohol, especially the traditional brews, as they are not engaged in any meaningful activities.

"The young between the age of 18 and 24 are actually so much involved in traditional liquor," Kamau said.

He spoke on Wednesday, during an interview on Citizen TV.

The Ahadi Kenya Trust Fund founder further lamented that the society had failed to involve the young generation in activities that would help keep them away from traditional alcohol.

He says there is a need for all the youth to be engaged in productive activities as part of the mitigation measure against illicit alcohol use and drug abuse.

"There is something that is lacking among the young people," Kamau noted.

He also pointed out that few adults are into alcohol and drug abuse, as most of them have engagements that keep them busy all day.

Poor role modelling is another reason Kamau has listed as the reason behind rampant alcoholism and drug abuse among the youth.

He argues that the young pick the vice from the elderly.

"The more the older people consume alcohol the more the young people copy them," he admitted.

It is only recently that the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) released a report which revealed that Western, Coast and Central regions were leading in alcohol consumption.

Nairobi was ranked the leading county in consumption of bhang. 

According to the NACADA report, drug abuse is highest at 10.4% among the youth while alcohol was at 7.2 per cent.