Drug abuse is one of the most devastating health, economic and social event affecting young people in our society today. Speaking in his office, Aggrey Nyaboga, a laboratory medicine expert based in the Aga Khan University Hospital, Kitengela says, “the most affected are school going persons aged between 12 to 27 years. Men abuse alcohol and tobacco much more than women.”

Drug abuse is defined as, “consistent and continuous use of illicit substances and medical drugs against recommendation by doctors until someone becomes addicted to them such that they cannot do without the drugs.” Common drugs of abuse include alcohol, tobacco, heroin, cannabis, cocaine, and opium among others.

Reasons for drug abuse

Peer influence is a major reason why people abuse drugs. “Young persons are easily influenced by their friends who consume the substances.”

Bad role models on television, parents and relatives can make young people desire to consume drugs. “Children easily emulate their role models or parents when they see them using drugs.”

Some people develop, “deliberate use" of drugs after getting introduced by other people. "They may tend to resist but find themselves already addicted hence continue using the drugs,” he says.

Other people use certain drugs without knowing. The National Campaign Against Drug Abuse Authority, NACADAA, Kenya conducted research on sources of drug abuse in 2015 and found that some narcotics were blended and sold in food items such as cakes, hotdogs, smokies and confectionaries and unknowingly sold to people. “Fifty six percent of the samples tested were found to test positive for cannabis,” he says.  These samples were collected in suspected shops and supermarkets across the country.

Conduits of drug abuse

Drug peddlers sell the drugs through shop vendors, canteens and on the streets. Hawkers can be used to channel drugs to the users. Schools, hotels and other recreational places are commonly used to vend drugs.

“In coastal region of Kenya where heroin and cocaine use is prevalent, tourist guides and beach boys have been found to sell drugs.” 

Negative effects of drug abuse

Drug abuse has negative social, economic and health effects.

Socially, drug users get themselves into crime. “Drug users have altered mental behavior and attitudes. The mental circuits and hormones that control behavior such as mood and happiness are acted upon hence someone can have euphoria resulting in weird behavior such as sudden aggressiveness and abrupt violent behavior or easily engage in crime without deeper thought.” Others especially ladies engage in undesirable activities such as prostitution.

Such people become misfits in the society where they are isolated, stigmatized and easily fall in police traps, are jailed and convicted by law. Drug users can also turn into drug peddlers.

Health wise, drug users can fall sick due to drug use. Drugs cause reduced immunity hence one is prone to infections such as pneumonia. Drug overdose such as heroin and cocaine can lead to sudden death.

Drug addicts can suffer from withdrawal symptoms hence loss of control of their lives and if they do not access drugs they can have headaches, severe mood swings, and attempted suicide.

Users of injectable drugs can acquire infections such as hepatitis B and HIV when they share the needles which can shorten their life spans.

Economically, many drug users spend a lot of their monies to pursue the drug habits. “Some drugs are very expensive and people can spend so much money rather than saving it for development and their families.”

Productivity at work can be diminished and drug users can skip jobs to look for the drugs. Others lose their jobs becoming a burden to the society.

Countries spend a lot of funds unnecessarily to control drug use and rehabilitate drug addicts which is a very expensive venture. Peddlers do not pay taxes hence commit economic crimes.

Prevention

People need to be sensitized about dangers of drug abuse at homes, schools, churches and social events. “Parents and children should be brought into attention about the problem of drugs, how they can be introduced to drugs and incase they fall into the trap, the need to seek urgent help.”

Parents can monitor their children’s behavior and temperament and try notice any changes. “A child who becomes very arrogant, develops quick and sudden mood changes and violence should alarm the caretakers.”  Subsequently they can start investigating the child’s peers, the activities they engage in and try discover the root cause of behavior change which is very important in addressing the drug problem.”

The older people should act as good role models for their children and young people.

Legal mechanisms should be used to deter drug abuse. “When people are caught peddling drugs, they should be punished decisively as per the laws,” he says. “Failure to punish drug peddlers promotes drug abuse.”

Rehabilitation is also a means of deterrence which should be employed and can make former drug users ambassadors against drug use.

Management

Counseling can be used to rehabilitate drug users.

In establishing the root cause of behavior change among youths, screening of drugs of abuse through laboratory testing is important to determine whether a person is using drugs or not.

Research should sensitize the community about the problems associated with drug use in a society and various measures put in place to mitigate the problem.