War on drugs must be won, says Kaguthi

Drug and substance abuse in Kenya is a worse disaster than HIV/Aids and famine combined, Joseph Kaguthi, the coordinator of the National Agency for the Campaign Against Drug Abuse (Nacada), told writer Dann Okoth last week.

QUESTION: What in your view is drug abuse?

ANSWER: Drug abuse is basically the use of substances that adversely affect the health and productivity of the user. The multiplier effect is that the whole society suffers.

Which drugs are abused most of the time?

If you mentioned drugs in this country in the past, people immediately assumed you were only talking about hard drugs, such as cocaine and mandrax. They were ignorant of the fact that substances that cause the biggest damage are the legal ones, such as alcohol, tobacco and miraa . Indeed, besides bhang, alcohol and tobacco are the mostly abused substances in Kenya .

The problem with these is that much as they are readily and cheaply available, they are highly addictive and consumers often lack the will to resist them.

The question of responsibility does not arise in the case of alcohol, for instance, because individuals, whose body systems are used to alcohol, more often than not become alcoholics.

As for tobacco, the first five puffs are enough to set one on the road to nicotine addiction. Worse still, cigarette, as a product, carries 4,029 different chemicals, 40 of which have been confirmed to cause cancer.

Besides the most commonly abused substances, young people abuse psychotropic, as well as narcotic drugs. Research shows that psychotropic drugs are introduced to 37 per cent of people aged between 10 and 14 years and nearly 75 per cent of those aged below 19 years.

What exactly is the level of drug abuse in Kenya ?

Statistics show more than 60 per cent of the adult population in every province abuse alcohol and tobacco. Nairobi , Western, Rift Valley, Nyanza and Central provinces lead in consumption of alcohol and tobacco.

Meanwhile, nearly 40 per cent of adults in every province abuse bhang. The worst affected provinces include Nairobi , Western, Coast, Eastern and Nyanza. Miraa chewing, on the other hand, is prevalent in Eastern, North Eastern, Coast and Central provinces , where 70-80 per cent of adults are involved.

Who is affected by the problem and in which way?

The youth are the most affected. A lot of young people are introduced to drugs before the age of 30 years. The abuse rate shoots up from around age 10 to 14. The highest increase occurs between the ages of 14 and 30 years.

The implications of drug abuse among youth are tragic. Firstly, we lose many young lives to drugs every year. Worse still, almost 90 per cent of school unrests are attributed to drug abuse, not to mention crime and the spread of HIV/Aids.

More damning, however, is the fact that youths hooked on drugs are unproductive either in school or at work. You can imagine the damage the national economy is suffering.

What are the main sources of illicit drugs in Kenya ?

Eighty per cent of illicit drugs, mainly bhang, comes from neighbouring countries because of our porous borders and corruption among law enforcement agencies.

However, bhang is also grown locally in such areas as Mt Kenya . As for alcohol, the main concern has been illegal brewing. The latest and most disturbing trend is where brewers and distillers are mixing liquor with industrial chemicals in a bid to make the products more potent.

The most annoying thing, however, is the fact that some of these products find their way onto the shelves and consumers, especially youth, can easily get them.

What factors inform drug abuse and what makes it difficult for the authorities to eradicate the vice?

The problem in this country is that individuals are introduced to drugs at a tender age. As the habit gains root in them, a big dent occurs in their lives. Collapsed families and parents, who ignore their responsibility as role models for their children, contribute to drug abuse. Other socio-economic factors are also critical.

Consider, for instance, that this country has experienced an information technology explosion in recent years, a development that has had both positive and negative effect on youth.

On the other hand the medium for promoting legal drugs, such as alcohol, have been so explicit that young people are made vulnerable. A weak justice system, corruption and collusion by law enforcement officers have undermined the war against drug abuse.

When was Nacada formed and what factors informed its formation?

Nacada was formed in March 2001 with the mandate to initiate a public education campaign against drug abuse, develop an action plan aimed at curbing drug abuse by youth in schools and other institutions of learning, sensitise parents on the abuse of drugs and their functions as role models and initiate rehabilitation programmes for addicts. It is also the organisation's objective to prepare an institutional framework for the enactment of a law setting up a drug and substance abuse control authority.

How has the organisation contributed to the fight against drug abuse?

We have participated in preventive education campaigns aimed at slowing down the introduction of drugs and substance abuse to children. The legal agenda has taken the bulk of Nacada campaigns and the results are evident.

Tobacco companies cannot now advertise freely and they no longer sponsor school festivals they used as platforms to woo youth.

Moreover, Kenyans stopped receiving massive alcohol campaigns although giant multi-national companies are still disrespectful of the public interest. We also incorporated mainstream and alternative media and religious organisations in sensitising people against drug abuse.

What programmes has Nacada initiated so far and what is their impact?

We have initiated many programmes. The most successful of them is the Squeeze Acquired Information Deficiency Programme, which aims at bridging the information gap between children and parents on the one hand, and teachers and students on the other.

When Nacada was formed, we realised that children knew more about drugs than did parents; there was equally a big gap between teachers and students. The clergy was a helpless observer of a problem they did not seem to comprehend and professionals were cocooned with whatever knowledge they had.

Do you think Kenya can win the war against drug abuse?

No country has ever won the war against drugs and Kenya is not an exception. The best we can do is to manage the problem.

Are the resources used in the war against drug abuse commensurate with the gains made, and is the war worth sustaining?

There is a misconception that the campaign against drugs is the sole business of Nacada. The fact is that we merely coordinate the drives, although we occasionally become a bit vocal.

The campaign should put more emphasis on the distribution and marketing channels of drugs. This is the responsibility of officers in criminal and justice administration system, charged with arresting, investigating, prosecuting, judging and placing criminals in criminal justice rehabilitation.

It is important, however, to note that we have had successes and failures, particularly as far as legal drugs are concerned, and, surely, the campaign is worth sustaining.

How does Kenya compare with the other countries in the region as far as drug abuse is concerned?

There are areas we are doing well than our neighbours, such as the narcotics, but we need to do more, especially with legal drugs. In Uganda , for instance, smoking is banned in almost all public places and the law is strictly adhered to. We should borrow a leaf from their book.

HIV/Aids and famine have been declared national disasters; does drug abuse qualify to be treated in a similar manner?

Absolutely!