In the last few months we have been exposed to a growing problem — underage boys and girls engaging in use of drugs and alcohol.
In
August this year, 45 students found using bhang, alcohol and cigarettes
were arrested in Nyeri as they were travelling in a Matatu. Though
there was outrage, it soon died to be revived again by two disturbing
cases in October.
The first in
Eldoret town, where 500 children and teenagers were arrested in a disco
and were also found to be smoking bhang, drinking alcohol and chewing
miraa. Hardly two weeks later, 200 children were arrested in a disco in
Nairobi and they were also found smoking bhang (marijuana) and drinking
alcohol. In all these cases the young boys and girls were engaging in
sexual intercourse as part of the “fun”. If it was not for the alarm
raised by the community these cases would have gone unnoticed.
Is
there a crisis in our youth? Do these three instances highlight a
growing problem amongst our youth? Do the young boys and girls realise
the dangers in there behaviours to their health and wellbeing? In the
midst of all this, where are the parents?
To
answer these and many more questions I sought the expert advice of Dr
Catherine Syengo Mutisya — a consultant psychiatrist — who is the head
of Substance Abuse Management in the Ministry of Health.
Is substance abuse on the increase in Kenya?
Yes
it is and it is a real concern. The statistics do not lie. A survey in
17 counties on alcohol and drug abuse Conducted by The National
Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA)
showed a high use of drugs and alcohol by school going teenagers with
alcohol the most abused and prescription drugs the most accessible.
I
think the gravity of the problem was highlighted in the wake of the
crackdown on illicit brews earlier this year. There were disheartening
stories of the effect of alcohol as well as drugs on young adults and
their families.
As a consultant I
have also witnessed an increase in people requiring help with substance
abuse. We are trying to cope with the increased number who require
treatment.
In your previous experience at Mathari Hospital, what is the reality of managing substance abuse?
In
Mathari hospital in the year 2014 to 2015, the outpatient substance
abuse clinic treated about 821 patients. At any given time all the 51
beds in the rehabilitation ward beds are always full with each client
staying for 90 days for treatment.
Mathari
Hospital in December 2014 started a special Methadone clinic for
treatment of heroin addiction. It helps heroin addicts (who inject
themselves) to overcome their addiction by giving them syrup methadone.
They are about 450 clients getting this treatment daily at Mathari.
Similarly
there are methadone clinics in Malindi and Mombasa which were opened
recently. These clinics are treating about 145 and 60 clients daily
respectively.
There are many more who smoke and “chase” heroine who are not absorbed in the program because the program initial aim was prevention of H.I.V through shared needles for this type of treatment.
An
interesting observation is that men/boys account for more than 80% of
the people being treated in the Mathari methadone clinic.
When are young people likely to use drugs and alcohol?
From
experience they start mainly in high school when they are teenagers. At
this age they listen more to their peers than parents. An IPSOS survey
released showed that almost half of these teenagers were introduced to
alcohol by friends and relatives.
However
the age when they start is lowering, according to the NACADA survey in
2012, the age of first use of all drugs has gone to as low as 10 years.
Students
abuse drugs in places where they are least supervised including on
their way home, during weekends while at school, during school trips and
school competitions.
Why are these children using these drugs and alcohol in high school?
The causes are multiple and usually related:
• Peer pressure. They are now influenced by their friends.
•Pressure
from academics. The education system seems to be taking a toll on our
children and they can end up using drugs and alcohol as a means of
escape.
• Parents are not supervising
their children. Parents especially in urban areas are busy working. In
addition, the lack of community ownership in these urban areas leaves
children with a gap to explore the use of drugs and alcohol.
•
Easy accessibility to drugs. Drugs like bhang are very accessible to
the young people especially with the new laws controlling alcohol
consumption. The use of prescription medications like codeine and
diazepam commonly occur.
• Lack of
role models in society. Nowadays role models for teenagers and young
adults exalt the use of alcohol and drugs which in turn make it look
“cool”.
• Social media. Teenagers with mobile phones have easy access to new forms of media that exalts the use of alcohol and drugs.
Why is bhang prohibited in Kenya yet other countries are legalising its use? Are we backward?
Contrary
to what is in the news, there is very little scientific evidence that
smoking or eating marijuana is effective and safe for treating any
medical issues. Because marijuana is a raw herb, there are over 500
different chemicals in it, in combinations that vary widely between
different strains and even from plant to plant. This causes serious
problems trying to use the whole marijuana leaf or crude extracts as
medicine.
The main concern is that these chemicals in bhang have a negative effect on the brain of growing children.
What is the government and other relevant authorities doing to curb this drug menace?
The government and its agencies have put a lot of effort in addressing this problem.
NACADA
partners with the Ministry Of Health, Pharmacy and Poisons Board and
the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Board in various ways to
effect the laws and policies already in place. Once we can improve on
co-ordination between these agencies and departments I think we can
tackle the drug menace.
The Ministry
of Health is currently working on policy and guidelines and technical
capacity building to manage substance abuse in health facilities in the
country. We are planning to launch and disseminate the national
treatment guidelines for substance abuse and a 2 year strategic plan to
manage substance abuse in Kenya.
Other than Mathari Hospital, where can people suffering from substance addiction get treatment?
In
Nairobi in addition to Mathari National Teaching & Referral
Hospital rehabilitation (REHAB) centre, we have Kenyatta National
Hospital for outpatient treatment. We also have Moi Teaching and
Referral hospital Eldoret rehabilitation (REHAB) centre and Coast
General hospital rehabilitation (REHAB) centre. The advantage of these
facilities is the treatment can be catered for by the National Hospital
Insurance Fund (NHIF). The only problem is that these facilities have
long waiting lists due to limited space.
These are government health facilities you have mentioned, are there other drug rehabilitation facilities?
There are 43 private rehabilitation (REHAB) centres around Kenya all approved by NACADA.
So how do we practically deal with this issue of substance abuse?
Well,
it starts at home with the parent. The best time to engage our children
is before the age of 12 when they are more influenced by their parents.
Research shows that these three strategies can help improve the chances
of preventing drug use and other deviant behaviour:
• Bonding with children from an early age and spending time with them
• Shaping children’s behaviour.
•
Limit setting which helps children understand the positive consequences
of good behaviour and the negative consequences of bad behaviour.
If
we are able to use these three strategies we will have responsible
children with high self-esteem who will be able to withstand pressure to
engage is bad behaviour like using drugs.
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