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Help youth to keep off drugs
Wankan Brass band performing at Bomas of Kenya during the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26, 2023.
The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, marked on June 26, was themed “People first: Stop stigma and discrimination, strengthen prevention”. Only less than a fifth of the millions of people suffering from drug-use disorders are in treatment.
Drug users are doubly victimised —first by the harmful effects of the drugs and then by the stigma and discrimination they face. They often face significant barriers to treatment and even health services for infectious diseases like HIV/Aids and hepatitis. Meanwhile, drug traffickers continue to prey on drug users, rapidly escalating the production of dangerous, highly addictive synthetic drugs.
But there are many things that make youth to engage in alcohol and drug abuse. Idleness is usually cited. They say an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. This is true; when young people are idle, they tend to take drugs to feel ‘high’ and get rid of boredom or pass time. This is one of the biggest ways to speed addiction as much time is spent on taking drugs.
Unsurprisingly, social media is a big influence to youth on drugs. Social media sites shape the lives of teens and young adults and many may find themselves subjected to a new type of peer pressure—around drugs and alcohol. Children are sensitised to drugs and alcohol at a much younger age. Content creators use celebrities such as musicians and models glamourising or advertising certain products.
Alcohol manufacturers are especially blatant about publicising and normalising their alcoholic brands on social media. Also, in music that is being played on radio stations, television and all sites of social media, it’s common to find lyrics that praise drug abuse—like Kaveve Kazoze, Kishash, Kata Maji and Maduya. It’s time to regulate such content.
The government has not been on the frontline to ensure youth are not idle as this could lead to other social immoralities apart from drug abuse. The government should create jobs to keep the youth actively engaged and reduce their curiosity. Law enforcers should crack down on peddlers of narcotics.
Ms Afandi is a journalism and communication student at Rongo University. [email protected].
