The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse recently released a report that laid bare the status of drugs and substance use in Kenya.
As anticipated, it has triggered animated conversation all around, especially given the shocking revelation that the age of initiation to drug use has dropped to six years.
The survey further reveals that the initiation age for alcohol use in the country is seven years while that of cannabis and prescription drugs is eight, and nine years for khat or miraa. Heroin and cocaine come in at 18 and 20 years respectively, but this is not to mean that we are doing any better on that front.
Any rational person reading this is already anxious, apprehensive and pondering how we got here in the first place. Just as it is astounding, it is further made worse by the fact that in a similar survey conducted in 2017, the initiation age was recorded at nine years which means that in a span of five years we have moved to the doldrums.
To put this across as plainly as possible, our youngsters are now starting to try out various drugs at a tender age.
Dumbfounding as it may sound, and in the typical knee-jerk reaction that is characteristic of human beings whenever unpleasant facts are exposed, we all have our own reasons as to why we think things are the way they are.
While some may be genuinely driven by a concern to find a way out of the predicament we find ourselves in, others are mere indignations aimed at pointing fingers with a view to effectively transferring the blame to others. While the former is the most ideal way of handling the bitter truth, the latter is the most easier, popular and convenient route for most of us.
Factors that contribute to the early initiation of substance abuse among the young population are multi-faceted. The younger a child initiates alcohol and other drug use, the higher the risk for serious health consequences and adult substance abuse.
The initiation of first drug use is determined by interactions between attitudinal, social, cognitive, cultural, personality, and developmental factors. The earliest influences to smoke, drink alcohol, or use drugs may actually come from the family within which the child is being raised.
As the cacophony continues regarding who did not do what or who ought to have done the other to avert this calamitous position we find ourselves in, there’s no better way to describe the state of affairs than the oft repeated statement; we are on the verge of losing an entire generation.
It is not uncommon, though, to nowadays come across parents with their children in social places, openly imbibing alcoholic drinks or even puffing away. At the age of six years, children are very observant and will often follow and do what most adults around them engage in. School-age children can pay attention for longer now. The child understands simple concepts like time (today, tomorrow, yesterday), recognises some words by sight and might even read on their own.
Children are less likely to use addictive substances if their parents talk early and often about the risks, establish clear rules and consequences, and regularly monitor their activities. This therefore means that protective factors for the pediatric population include growing up in a nurturing home with open communication with parents and positive parental support.
Since a home is the immediate socialisation environment for a child, parents must ensure that it remains buffered from any negative behaviours or actions that might trigger early initiation to drug use. Parents have a duty to look after themselves as it is the only guarantee that they will be able to guide children’s behaviour in positive ways.
Manager Corporate Communications, Nacada
