Drinking alcohol is killing at least 14,000 Kenyans every year, the World Health Organization says.
WHO said Kenya has given alcohol producers a blank cheque to advertise their products, easily hooking young people.
The deaths are reported in the latest global status report on alcohol and health and treatment of substance use disorders, released on Thursday.
The WHO said these deaths would disappear if alcohol consumption was removed.
Alcohol consumption has a causal impact on more than 200 health conditions, including diseases and injuries.
The deaths include non-communicable diseases linked to alcohol, traffic crashes from drink driving, self-harm and interpersonal violence.
“Despite some reduction in the alcohol-related death rates since 2010, the overall number of deaths due to alcohol consumption remains unacceptably high,” the report says.
The alcohol deaths in Kenya surpass the numbers of those killed by tobacco (at least 9,000) and Covid-19 (5,000) locally every year.
The report also shows a worrying trend of Kenyan children who are able to drink approximately six standard alcoholic drinks in one sitting, also called heavy episodic drinking.
The report indicates a growing trend of teenager drinkers. At least 13 per cent of children aged 13 to 19 years take alcohol and half of those can drink six bottles in one sitting.
This kind of drinking is done with the intention of getting drunk.
This level and frequency of drinking is associated with increased risks of numerous health conditions and associated mortality and disability.
WHO said the sad thing is that many heavy drinkers may not access the help they need.
“Effective treatment options for substance use disorders exist, but treatment coverage remains incredibly low,” WHO said in a statement accompanying the report.
Most of the 145 countries that reported data, including Kenya, did not have a specific budget line or data on governmental expenditures for treatment of substance use disorders.
“Stigma, discrimination and misconceptions about the efficacy of treatment contribute to these critical gaps in treatment provision, as well as the continued low prioritisation of substance use disorders by health and development agencies,” WHO said.
Spirits are the most consumed alcohol in Kenya. It takes spirits much less time to cause the same effects as a glass of beer or wine because people tend to down spirits much faster.
Among adults, the average heavy episodic drinker, is aged 46 years.
"Substance use severely harms individual health, increasing the risk of chronic diseases, mental health conditions, and tragically resulting in millions of preventable deaths every year. It places a heavy burden on families and communities, increasing exposure to accidents, injuries, and violence," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
"To build a healthier, more equitable society, we must urgently commit to bold actions that reduce the negative health and social consequences of alcohol consumption and make treatment for substance use disorders accessible and affordable."
According to the International Institute for Legislative Affairs, which is working to end alcoholism in Kenya, tough measures are in place to curb the sale of alcohol, but they are poorly implemented and the alcohol industry has free reign in the country.
"Alcohol-related harms are a pressing issue, contributing to non-communicable diseases and social disintegration," said Celine Awuor, the IILA CEO.
In April, the national government said it was finalising a policy to tackle alcohol and drug abuse in the country.
The National Policy for the Prevention, Management, and Control of Alcohol, Drug, and Substance Abuse is anticipated to provide a cohesive framework to address these challenges, safeguarding the health, safety, and well-being of Kenyans.
According to the draft policy, the primary objective is to establish a comprehensive set of measures to develop and implement interventions that effectively mitigate the detrimental effects of harmful alcohol, drug, and substance use on individuals, families and the nation at large.
Speaking at a stakeholders' meeting with the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse in April, Mombasa County Commissioner Mohammed Nur underscored the significance of the policy.
"This policy will bolster government efforts to close loopholes in the regulation of alcohol, drugs, and substance abuse," Nur said.
Globally, the WHO said total alcohol per capita consumption in the world population decreased slightly from 5.7 litres in 2010 to 5.5 litres in 2019. The highest levels of per capita consumption in 2019 were observed in the WHO European Region (9.2 litres) and the Region of Americas (7.5 litres).