Kenya: Drug abuse fuels unrest in school students, says NACADA

The cases of unrest in Kenyan schools could be a result of drug abuse among students, said the National Authority for Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) on Monday, according to a report by The Star.

On the claims of drug abuse, the agency said that the drug interest was entirely based on a national survey that unearthed excessive substance abuse.

Mabel Imbuga, the NACADA board chairperson, said that the national survey was carried out in June 2018 and revealed (20.2 percent) that one out of five primary students have been under the influence of drugs once in their lifetimes.

STATEMENT ON STATUS OF DRUG ABUSE IN SCHOOLS IN THE WAKE OF INCREASED CASES OF UNREST pic.twitter.com/bu9vn7SZTN

— NACADA Kenya (@NACADAKenya) February 1, 2021

The survey, 'Status of Drugs and Substance Abuse among Primary School Pupils in Kenya' also revealed that over 16.9 percent of total learners were using at least one substance of abuse or drug.

It further disclosed that 3.2 percent of primary school pupils were using tobacco, while 2.6 percent were on alcohol and at least 2.3 percent were involved in chewing miraa or muguka.

"This data points to the need for an urgent concerted effort aimed at preventing additional statistics among school-going children as one of the ways through which to curb this menace," Imbuga added.

As per the survey, around 28.6 percent of students could find drugs in shops near school whereas around 25.7 percent could find it in bars. However, around 19.3 percent could find drugs from friends, 13.7 percent could get it from other students, and to 13.6 percent the drugs were supplied by school workers.

Imbuga further said that tackling drug and alcohol abuse should involve both non-state and state actors including guardians, counties, NACADA, and Health and Education.

"Parents have a responsibility to nurture their children positively and those who choose to raise their children in a home where addiction is prevalent and even considered normal, can end up harming them in various ways. Children look up to their parents for guidance in all ways and when a parent's judgment is affected by substance abuse, they can not only cause a mental, physical, and emotional disturbance, but they can also severely alter or hamper their child's development in all these stages", said Imbuga.

She further added that NACADA offers school-based programs that have relatively resulted in immense awareness against drug abuse. The programs are focused on strengthening communities and positive parenting, as per the report.

"In line with the Covid-19 prevention protocols established by Ministry of Health, we have embarked on media-driven campaigns to reach out to schools and engage them on prevention initiatives... In the meantime, we invite affected schools, churches and other institutions to liaise with us through our regional offices for support and inclusion into our school-based programmes," the chairperson added.

NACADA is ready to work to assist the cause to prevent drug abuse inclusively.