• There is a surge in the online sale of liquor, which exposes the youth to the risk of alcohol abuse.
• Because of e-learning, most youths can easily access alcohol and anything they yearn for.
Image: COURTESY
Easy access of liquor through online outlets has exposed the youth to increased risk of alcohol abuse.
Recent research by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Drug Abuse (Nacada) indicates that 84 per cent of youth aged between 16 and 24 years are involved in drug abuse in Kenya.
However, Nacada chairperson Mabel Imbuga says school closure during Covid-19 could increase the risks following online classes.
“Due to e-learning, most youths can easily access alcohol and anything they yearn for,” Imbuga says.
She adds that there is a surge in online sale of liquor which exposes the youth to the risk of alcohol abuse since they easily access the commodity through online outlets.
Secondary schools, universities and technical institutions were ordered closed in March to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 in the country.
Currently, learning institutions have rolled out online learning to counter the effects of Covid-19 on education, meaning more youths could be spending hours online.
“I have to spend hours learning through Zoom because. That’s where our lectures are currently delivered,” David Kabiru, a university student, says.
Eliud Mwangi, an online liquor entrepreneur, says since the closure of institutions of higher learning he has sold more liquor than he did before.
“There has been a surge in the number of orders I receive on a daily basis. The orders are mostly from the youth who are more conversant with the use of smartphones,” Mwangi says.
Kabiru says online sales have made it easier for youths, even minors posing as adults, to access alcohol.
“It is now easy for the youth to access online shops. Liquor is a click away and some could even steal money from their parents to buy alcohol,” John Kimani, a psychologist, says.
According to Imbuga, the country faces a serious challenge of alcohol and drug abuse that threatens to reverse socio-economic development.
National surveys by Nacada indicate a ballooning drug problem especially among the youth, posing a challenge to the country’s socio-economic development.
According to the United Nations, rising unemployment and plummeting opportunities are expected to disproportionately affect the poorest, making them more vulnerable to drug use and trafficking.
Edited by Henry Makori