NACADA reveals alarming drug abuse in universities
The latest report by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) highlights a disturbing rise in drug and substance abuse among young people in institutions of higher learning.
According to the 2024 Status of Drug and Substance Use in Kenyan Universities report, 45.6% of university students have used at least one drug or substance in their lifetime.
Even more concerning is that 26.6% of students across both private and public universities are currently using substances such as alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and khat, as well as emerging drugs like methamphetamine and codeine syrup, which are increasingly making their way into student communities.
“Data analysis on past-month use also showed an emerging trend in the use of new psychoactive substances among university students that were synthetic in nature, especially methamphetamine, ecstasy/ GHB/ LSD/ psychedelics, and ketamine” the report states.
The study covered 17 universities, both public and private, across all eight administrative regions of Kenya: Nairobi, Coast, Nyanza, Western, Central, Eastern (Upper and Lower), North Eastern, and Rift Valley (North and South).
A total of 15,678 students were surveyed, consisting of undergraduate students from both public and private universities in Kenya.
It further showed that alcohol was the most (87.3%) available substance with 1 in every 5 university students (18.6%) having used alcohol in the past month followed by cigarettes (64.4%), shisha (41.2%), vape/e-cigarettes (31.0%), nicotine pouches (30.7%), kuber (23.0%) and snuff/chewed tobacco (22.1%).
Friends were identified as the main source of drugs for students, with 66.4% of respondents citing them as the primary source. This was followed by canteens, bars, and premises within the neighborhood at 59.3%, and fellow students within the institution at 56.0%.
Other sources mentioned in the report, released on Thursday, included online purchasing through websites or social media (39.4%), canteens, bars, or premises within the institution (28.0%), support or non-teaching staff (11.4%), and lecturers or teaching staff (7.0%).
The report further highlighted serious health concerns, including addiction and various forms of mental health disorders.
It was found that female university students exhibit a higher prevalence of moderately severe (6.4%) and severe (4.1%) depressive disorders compared to their male counterparts (5.2% and 3.0%, respectively) raising significant concerns about the future of girls.
“We often think of drugs and substance use as an issue that predominantly affects men, but the reality demonstrated by this report shows that female university students are also becoming increasingly more vulnerable – a reminder to us that addiction knows no gender.” Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen who graced the launch regreted.
Most astonishing were revelations that 70 per cent of the 2024 Gen Z demonstrators admitted to having smoked cannabis for the first time during the protests.
The youth, mostly university students, reportedly confessed that they were lured into drug abuse after hearing claims that smoking cannabis could protect them from the effects of teargas.
This prompted the Cabinet Secretary to issue a stern warning to political leaders, whom he blamed for exploiting youths by intoxicating them with drugs and alcohol to disrupt rallies or funerals.
“Such behaviour will not be tolerated. We are committed to upholding the law and ensuring that those responsible face the full consequences of their actions,” Murkomen asserted.
Murkomen pledged to implement regulations against the sale of inexpensive alcohol near educational institutions as a first step in combating drug and substance abuse among our youth.
“Crime is a crime, regardless of whether it occurs online or offline. We must hold accountable those criminals who threaten our children’s future by selling drugs. Therefore, the Antinarcotics Unit within the DCI must enhance their efforts in enforcing the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act,” he directed.
The National Police Service also expressed outrage at the grim statistics, vowing to tackle the issue head-on in order to save young people from further destruction.
“If we have a problem with the youth then we have a bigger problem as a country. The youth are our future, we need to protect them. We need to upscale the Anti Narcotics unit to the level of the Anti-terror unit” Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja said.
Safe spaces
Diminishing safe spaces was a major contributor to the high drug prevalence. “The environment within the universities and the neighbourhoods were not drug-free spaces” the agency regretted even as it highlighted the rise in the number of students battling addictions and disorders.
“Overall, the study showed increased vulnerability and high burden for past-month use of DSA among both male and female students; private and public universities; students not affiliated to any religion or those who were Hindu/ Buddhist; students in the third year of study and above; students residing at home or accommodated outside the institution; and those who were self-sponsored,” said Prof John Muteti, Director standards research and licensing.
NACADA CEO Anthony Omerikwa, on his part, alluded to the fact that the vice was slowly evolving into a crisis that needed to be addressed urgently.
“The report reveals a serious and growing problem of drugs and substance abuse among young people especially in the Institutions of higher learning. This is a national issue that requires collective attention,” he said.
Consequences reported include absenteeism; failure to complete one’s degree program; increased conflicts and violence; mental health disorders such as depression; addiction; increased cases of sexual harassment and rape; and unplanned pregnancies.
The report revealed that 47.1% of students had failed to sit for an exam or continuous assessment in the past year, while 36.5% had missed classes. Additionally, 38.8% were facing disciplinary cases.
The agency acknowledged the critical role played by the media in the fight against drug abuse and pledged to work closely with media outlets.
“The media plays a crucial role in the dissemination of messages on drugs and substance abuse to the general public and targeted audience. The media is a powerful tool that we cannot do without,” Muteti said.