This study sought to establish the current trend of drug abuse among students in kenyan secondary schools, and to analyze the strategies used to address the problem. Current statistics indicate that more than half of drug users are aged 1019 years. Patterns of drug abuse in public secondary schools in kenya. Pdf factors contributing to drug abuse among the youth. The drug menace at the kenyan coast drug abuse is one of the biggest problems confronting kenya, especially among the youth. Most studies done in the country indicate that the commonly used drugs are nicotine, alcohol and cannabis. Many of them engage in domestic violence furthermore, the parents must play an important role in their childrens socialization and inform them about the use of drugs and alcohol.
The drugs reported to have been used are cigarettes, tobacco, kuber, shisha, packaged alcohol, changaa, hashish, bhang, cocaine, heroin, khat, inhalants, prescription drugs sedatives or sleeping pills, morphine, codeine, pethidine, and synthetic drugs amphetamine. A countrywide needs assessment study undertaken in 1994 by the government of kenya and the united nations international drug control programme undcp revealed that drug abuse has. Drug and substance abuse among the youth in and out of. Drug and substance abuse is recognized globally as the greatest impediment to sanity of our social fabric, the greatest health risk and also it is touted to be one of the biggest derailments to our economic growth. Kenya is at the verge of disintegrating if urgent actionable measures are not put in place to curb the ever increasing drug abuse especially among the young people. Their research addresses the most fundamental and essential questions about drug abuse, including tracking emerging drug use trends, understanding how drugs work in the brain and body, developing and testing new drug treatment and prevention approaches, and disseminating. Drug and substance abuse in secondary schools in kenya kiambu.
This publication may be downloaded or ordered at or call. In kenya, the prevalence of opium use among the age group between 15 and 64 is 0. This notwithstanding, alcohol, cannabis and khat still remain the. Gender differences in reasons for alcohol and drug abuse. The national protocol for treatment of substance use disorders in.
Due to the strategic location of kenya in the east african region and nairobi being an economic hub in the region. Department of psychology, guidance and educational foundations egerton university, p. Pdf factors contributing to drug abuse among the youth in. The perception of drugs and substance abuse in the district could have varied with other parts of the country due to socioeconomic status, cultural orientations, general level of education and geographical region. A nationally representative sample size of 3,016 households was derived from. This rapid assessment of drug and substance abuse sought to understand the nature, extent, and patterns of drug abuse in kenya and its subsequent effect on the individual, family, and community at large.
This paper investigates factors contributing to drug abuse among the youth in kenya. The survey team comprised a professor of psychiatry, david ndetei from the nairobi psychotherapy services and institute npsi, dr. Nida is a scientific research institute and is the largest supporter of the worlds research on drug abuse and addiction. Agumba hnd h601156804 a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of master of science degree in hospitality management in the. This website is a free online resource for information on substance abuse prevention interventions and programs that can be adopted in kenya. The ministry of health and social welfare 19 indicates that at least 10% of zanzibars 1.
Drug abuse among students in public secondary schools in. Ndege, peter, national campaign against drug abuse authority, kenya background. Ten dead over drugs and substance abuse nathan ochunge 30th apr 2018 00. A case study of the growth of heroin injection in a kenyan coastal town is presented. The existingstudies document the spread of heroin injection in kenya and tanzania, both countries where hiv rates are high. In view of this, the field survey method was adopted to. World drug report 2018 united nations publication, sales no. A countrywide needs assessment study undertaken in 1994 by the government of kenya and the united nations international drug control programme undcp revealed that drug abuse has permeated all strata of kenyan society, youth and young adults being the. Nida also would like to thank the community antidrug coalitions of america for helping organize a focus group of. Drug dependence treatment and hiv prevention in kenya.
In 2011, 146 children and youth ages 1019 years, classified as either children on the street or children of the street were recruited to participate in a crosssectional survey in. According to a report released by the office for national statistics in the united. Current statistics indicate that more than half of drug users are aged 1019. Drug and substance abuse is not only a kenyan problem but a global problem which is affecting mostly the youth both in school and out of school. Why drug abuse is on the rise among teens daily nation. Kenya, technical institutions, drug abuse, substance abuse, students, academic performance, academic participation. The study describes the knowledge of and attitudes toward substance use among streetinvolved youth in kenya, and how they relate to their substance use practices. Administratively, kenya has created a central agency responsible. Alcohol, substance and drug use among urban slum adolescents. Definition of drug abuse and related concepts drug abuse. The aim of the survey was to determine the current trends in alcohol and drug abuse to inform evidencebased interventions. Status of drug and substance abuse in kenya nairobi, 2012. The study showed that alcohol was the most commonly used substance of abuse by students in the last 30 days current use, followed by use of prescription drugs.
No doubt, a country whose fiveyear olds cherish hard drugs than they would sweets as revealed in a research commissioned by citizen tv recently, may be headed to a dead end. Pdf patterns of drug abuse in public secondary schools in kenya. The ultimate aim was to propose a programme for prevention and intervention. This is a report of information, needs and resources analysis, fnra survey carried out in kenya in july 200 1. The effect of drug abuse on society was probably best summed up in the political declaration on global drug control adopted at the twentieth special session of the united nations general assembly on the world drug problem general.
Despite the high prevalence of polydrug abuse particularly among youth in kenya, no literature exists on the number of treatment and rehabilitation facilities, their modes of treatment and aftercare, relapse rates, ownership, and distribution nationally. Kenya has a very strong manpower base as regards research and studies on drug abuse information systems. Planning for drug abuse prevention in the community. It is therefore evident that drugsubstance abuse among the youth must be fought in all ways so as to bring down drugsubstance related problems at all levels in the society. Find all course details such as study duration, major subject, course category among others.
Kenya chosen to host regional centre of regulatory excellence rcores in africa for. The national protocol for treatment of substance use. Njenga, frank center for addiction studies in africa, kenya. Drug and substance abuse in secondary schools in kenya. Nairobi, mar 27 2015 ips despite legislative attempts to curb drinking, kenya is still facing its greatest threat from alcohol abuse. This has resultantly become a matter of concern to the. Recreational drug use in kenya is common among men, women, and youth from both rural and urban environments. A survey of drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation. This paper examines alcohol, substance and drug use among adolescents in the informal settlements of nairobi, kenya. This problem impacts negatively on the academic, social psychological and physical. Globally, an estimated 16 million people abuse drugs by injection, and of that total, some 3 million live with hiv. Drug abuse leads to addiction whereby the user finds it hard to quit.
Nairobi, kenya drug abuse and drug dependence treatment situation according to unodc data for the year 2009. Details about the sample design, weighting, and interviewing results. Dutch drug policy in order to deal with the problem in kenya. Kenya struggles with rising alcoholism inter press service. Effectiveness refers to the presence, usefulness and capacity of drug and substance abuse. Drawing on research in kenya, cottrellboyce argues that drug use amongst street children is primarily. Find the best colleges and universities in kenya offering certificate in drug and substance abuse counseling. It is the chronic use of a drug for a reason other than for which it was intended. The study showed that drugsubstance abuse is a threat to the general public as well as to the youth still in school and those specifically out of school. Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is use of a drug in amounts or by methods which. Substance abuse and mental health services administration. Abstract drug abuse is one of the major challenges facing the world today.
Drug is defined as any chemical substance which when taken into the body affects ones mood, behaviour andor state of mind. Drug and substance abuse refers to inappropriate use of intoxicating drugs to an extent that personal, academic, social and spiritual functioning is disrupted. Drug and substance abuse among the youth in and out of school. The role of solvents in the lives of kenyan street children. The concept of drugs and substance abuse a drug is any substance which when introduced into the body will alter the normal biological. The introduction of prescription drugs to africa drastically increased the availability and use of psychoactive substances. Incidents of drug and alcohol abuse and related antisocial behaviour have increased in recent years. Each specific substance other than caffeine, which cannot be diagnosed as a substance use. Unodc, as the leading united nations agency in countering illicit drugs and the transmission of hiv through. In view of this, the field survey method was adopted to collect quantitative data, using questionnaires and interviews.
The aim of the survey was to determine the current trends in alcohol. Although there are no accurate official data about drug abuse in the. Drug abuse among students in public secondary schools in kenya, the case of vihiga county by chebukaka, r. Abstract and full paper for kenya association of professional. The history of psychoactive substance use in africa is relatively short except for the reports on the use of traditional substances such as alcohol, cannabis and khat. The effect of drug abuse on society was probably best summed up in the political declaration on global drug control adopted at the twentieth special session of the united nations general assembly on the world drug problem general assembly, 2003a. Prevention of drug use and treatment of drug use disorders in rural. Substance abuse prevention is a proactive process that empowers individuals and systems to meet the challenges of life events and transitions by creating. Knowledge, attitudes, and substance use practices among. Kenya is a rural country and a deeply patriarchal society where men use the money they earn to buy alcohol and drugs. No data from uganda on injecting drug use was found by the authors. Their research addresses the most fundamental and essential questions about drug abuse, including tracking emerging drug use trends, understanding how drugs work in the brain and body, developing and testing new drug treatment and prevention approaches, and.
Motivated by the increasing problem of drug abuse among the youth and in particular high school students in her country kenya, doctor maithya seeks to bring to light the perceptions of students, student counselors, parents and teachers on the causes and possible effects of the vice to the individual and the society. Despite the high prevalence of polydrug abuse particularly among youth in kenya, no literature exists on the number of treatment and rehabilitation facilities, their modes of treatment and aftercare, relapse rates, ownership, and. This survey is a followup to the rapid situation assessment carried out in the year 2007. The study showed that alcohol was the most commonly used substance of abuse by students in the last 30 days current use, followed by use of prescription drugs, khat miraa, bhang, inhalants. Substance use disorder in dsm5 combines the dsmiv categories of substance abuse and substance dependence into a single disorder measured on a continuum from mild to severe. The course in drug and substance abuse is meant in order to save the youth especially from this menace by creating a drug free generation. This study sought to establish the extent of drug and substance abuse in secondary schools in kenya, and to analyze the strategies used to address the problem. Prevalence, drugs used, sources, and awareness of curative. The use of contaminated injecting equipment is a major cause of hiv transmission in many countries and accounts for up to 10 per cent of all hiv cases worldwide. The drugs reported to have been used are cigarettes, tobacco, kuber, shisha, packaged alcohol, changaa, hashish, bhang, cocaine, heroin, khat, inhalants, prescription drugs sedatives or sleeping pills, morphine, codeine, pethidine, and synthetic drugs amphetamine, hallucinogens. Box 16546 00100 nairobi, kenya angachi milka obwenyi, department of clinical medicine and optometry, school of science and technology, university of kabianga, kenya muthoni mathai. Preventing drug use among children and adolescents redbook. Citing the media as a factor that contributes to drug abuse encourages people to deny responsibility for their actions.
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