10-year-olds abusing drugs in coast- Nacada

Minors aged 10 years are abusing drugs at the Coast, the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) has warned.
Nacada decried over rampant drug abuse among children from age 10.

However, the authority said the availability of drugs and irresponsibility parenting had led to the rise of the vice.

Last week, security agencies led by a multi-agency team launched a massive 14-day rapid results initiative to smoke out drug barons, peddlers and sellers of illicit brew owing to the rise of the vice that has ensnared minors at the port city.

“Our survey shows those adversely affected by drug addiction are aged between 15 to 40. However, we have realized that children from as young as 10 years are abusing drugs, these are minors and it is scary. Let’s not point fingers.

But the minors are abusing drugs because it is easily available and parents are no longer taking their parental responsibilities,” said Nacada Coast chairman Mr George Karisa.

Mr Karisa accused parents of failing to take their responsibilities leaving their children to be parented by teachers. He said Nacada has a responsibility to reverse the trend.

“Our children have lost direction. Some parents are also abusing drugs in the full glare of their children. The minors after seeing their parents abusing drugs start experimenting,” he insisted.

The Nacada boss warned that the port city is on the verge of losing control of the situation that has consumed the most productive generation of the youth between the ages of 15 and 40 years.

According to statistics from the authority, Mombasa has over 10,000 drug users.

Kisauni sub county leads with the highest cases of heroin users with over 5,000 while Mvita is second with at least 3,000 users. 

Crackdown

The multi-agency team comprising of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, National Police Service, local administration and Nacada and Mombasa County Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo said the security agencies would also rescue drug addicts and take them to rehabilitation. 

The authorities noted that being the largest port in East Africa, Mombasa has become the capital of a new drug trafficking route.
Cocaine from Latin America and heroin from Asia is believed to transit through Kenya, before heading to Europe.

Anti-drug activist, Reachout Centre Trust Executive Director Taib Abdulrahman urged Kenyans to remedy the situation by early detection and take their minors to rehabilitation centres.

Reachout Centre Trust is a rehabilitation centre rescuing and rehabilitating drug addicts in the region.

“We are rehabilitating children from the age of 12 to 13 years old who are abusing drugs. The situation is bad in Coast region. If we don’t take care, in the next two to three years they will venture into drugs,” said Mr Abdulrahman.

He said Reachout Centre Trust is conducting vigorous community awareness and school programmes involving teachers and learners to identify those abusing drugs so that they can be rehabilitated.

“Parents are sending these children to buy drugs. This is a sad situation,” added the activist.