The latest NACADA report shows that 48.6 percent of Kenyans (27,042,214 out of 48 million persons in Kenya) aged between 15 to 65 years consume alcohol. This is the most productive age in a country and steps must be taken to ensure that such a high number does not slide into alcohol and drug abuse as it were. The report shows that 19.4 percent consume at least one type of alcohol or the other; 12.7 percent consume legal alcohol; 7.0 percent consume traditional liquor; 5.4 percent consume chang’aa and 4.1 percent have been confined to the consumption of portable spirits. One thing that should be done is to ensure that there are adequate counselling and support measures for the people who may need help to come out of such challenges. There is need to ensure that alcohol is not available all the time and hence curtail the hours and times it can be accessed and consumed. There should be measures to ensure that reverse psychology works such that alternatives to alcohol are placed at convenient places and locations such that there is shift to for example more consumption of water, milk, tea, coffee and other alternatives. This can be made through policy, taxation, publicity, sensitization and advocacy for behavioural changes towards desired direction.
The report also shows that there are increased cases of police officers consuming high amounts of alcohol which has been blamed on the nature of their jobs, tough economic times against low salaries for the majority, which leads to stress, and which in turns makes the officers to revert to heavy consumption of alcohol. Generally, the consumption of alcohol symbolized despair and depression and joblessness. Care must be taken to ensure that officers access modern counselling and psychosocial support as they are critical to our national security.
It can be argued that the increased cases of alcohol consumption can be linked to economic situations and conditions that affect the majority of the culprits. It should be pointed out that drug and alcohol abuse an economic issue, and hence there is need for stakeholders to come up with solid ways to address the root causes. There must be wholistic programmes and projects geared towards addressing alcoholism and drug abuse. There must be measures to ensure that there is the re-integration of those who are severely affected by the drugs and alcohol abuse issue. There must be the construction, development and operationalization of the affordable, efficient and appropriate rehabilitation centres for many of the culprits to be referred to Dr. Mutegi Giti, Urban management, Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) & Environment Specialist. mutegigiti@gmail.com, @danielgiti.
Dr. Daniel Mutegi Giti 