Four form four students have been arrested for allegedly smoking bhang in the school compound in Kisumu.
The four students were arrested on Monday evening and later released on police bond.
“This was to allow them to sit the remaining KCSE papers before being charged in court,” a police report read.
According to the report, the principal had raised concern over the four students and was left with no choice but to report them to the police.
“The suspect students had used a master key to access the sports office where they were found smoking,” the report read.
During the arrest, seven sticks of bhang were recovered and kept as exhibits.
The boys are aged 17 -18.
According to the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse Authority, alcohol, tobacco, bhang, miraa and prescription drugs are the most abused in schools.
The five-year national survey on the Status of Drugs and Substance Use (DSU) in Kenya, 2022 released recently shows 156,461 primary school children are currently abusing tobacco products, 127,124 are abusing alcohol, 112,456 Miraa and 39,115 are bhang smokers.
Nacada’s Principal Researcher Morris Kamenderi said in total, 153,846 young people aged 15 to 24 are already severely addicted to alcohol, 90,531 are totally addicted to bhang, 58,819 to miraa and 58,819 to tobacco.
Last week, WHO recommended a ban on the sale of such products near schools.
The Kenya Tobacco Control Act already bans the sale of tobacco products near schools but it continues to be flouted.
