Step up war on drugs in institutions of learning

Drug abuse among the youth is a great threat to their wellbeing as much as it’s a societal problem. In academic institutions, the vice has been linked to the rising cases of disciplinary issues.

One of the most commonly abused drugs is tobacco. Its accessibility and affordability makes it the first drug many young people are introduced to. This is despite regulations put in place to discourage its use. According to the Tobacco Control Board, young people who start smoking early find it difficult to quit later in life. It also opens the door to the abuse of hardcore drugs.

The board will this week conduct county anti-smoking sensitisation campaigns in 30 centres across the country ahead of the World Anti-Tobacco Day on May 31. The campaign targets stakeholders in schools, universities and other institutions of learning as it is the youth in these institutions who are most at risk of being lured into smoking and drug abuse. It’s estimated that 18 per cent of Kenyan youth aged between 13 and 15 use tobacco products.

Secondary school principals have also raised the red flag over increased drug abuse in their institutions, which they directly link to strikes that result in destruction of property and interruption of learning programmes.

The chairperson of the TCB, Ms Nancy Gachoka, has blamed commercial interests as an obstacle in the war on drugs. Even if tobacco manufacturers pay high taxes, the government ends up spending more money in treating addicts.

Everything must be done to sensitise and keep the youth away from drugs in order to safeguard their health. With children being change agents, anti-drug messaging needs to be infused in their curriculum. For this to succeed, commercial interests must be cast aside to save a generation.