Christmas and Alcohol: Why we need to be more intentional about sobriety this season
Christmas is here again. Most have a milestone to celebrate: some have graduated, others completed their primary school education, some got promotions, started families, and conquered illnesses. The list could go on.
But the festive season does not just represent merry-making. A lot more happens. Studies show that alcohol consumption peaks towards the end of November, hitting an all-time high towards the end of December and the New Year.
Adverts and campaigns by manufacturers of alcohol also increase during this time. As we explore different ways to make merry this season, we ought to stop and think about the impact of a little binge drinking here and there. What if someone told you that the party you are planning to attend and the events that will take place might be a catalyst for addiction in the near future?
Would you stop and rethink your plans?
Boniface Ndirangu, the chairman and CEO of Addiction Prevention and Recovery Association Kenya (APRAK), had an encounter with alcoholism and drug abuse in the earlier years of his life. And what seemed like an acceptable and manageable way of life led him to homelessness.
For years, he fought addiction, and when he finally broke free, he started helping addicts break free too. He shares his story and his thoughts on how we can get through the festive season as a sober nation, as well as tips for parents on how to protect their children from exposure to drugs and alcohol. Here is his story.
The beginning of drug use
“I was given alcohol by someone I considered a mentor when I was 19. Alcohol is viewed as an acceptable drug, and it didn’t seem as dangerous to me. At the time, I was a thriving footballer, playing for my university team. A fellow sportsman, playing at a higher level, introduced me to alcohol.
Soon after, I started smoking cigarettes as well and this marked the beginning of a downward spiral. I developed asthma due to smoking and was forced to stop playing football, which was also a source of income.
This was within just two years of drinking and smoking. After losing my football career, I drank some more to cope with the loss. To supplement my income, I also developed great ‘sales and marketing skills’.
I sold anything that could be sold and even turned into a broker. Along the way, I met a man from Europe who had visited Kenya for a ceremony taking place in my neighbourhood. He noticed I was street-smart and asked if I could get him heroin.
I took it as a business opportunity and found a supplier. I would then sell the drug to him at a profit. I also tasted it out of curiosity, little did I know that this would lead to an addiction crisis later in life.
When I lost my aunt who was also my guardian a few years later, I used heroin every day during the first week following her death as a painkiller. I wanted to numb the pain, and this drug came in handy. You see, my aunt took me in when my mother died when I was just five. Losing her not only tore my heart apart, but it also revived the painful memories of grief from childhood.
First sobriety attempt
Heroin is a powerful and highly addictive drug that can take control of your life in just a few days. I took a short school break and I couldn’t get the drug for a while, but since I was already addicted, I used it occasionally. After completing my coursework at the university, I met someone who wanted to sell a big batch of heroin. He asked me to help him distribute it and I agreed.
By the time I was done selling this batch, I was a heavy user again. This went on until I got a job at a pharmaceutical company. Two years into using the drug, I knew I needed help. My family was getting more concerned and my girlfriend, with whom I had a child, was also complaining about my drug use. Surprisingly, I was the only one who didn’t see the severity of my problem.
In January 1997, I went to the hospital, for the first time, due to my addiction. I told my boss I was feeling depressed and wanted to seek help. My boss took pity on me and took me to an addiction specialist. This was the beginning of my personal war with addiction.
The war lasted five years, three of which I was homeless. After going through detox, I tried to stay clean for a while, but the medication I was taking made me drowsy and fatigued. When I used drugs again, I seemed to have this new bust of energy that everyone believed I was healed and well again.
But the drive to use a drug is often stronger than the will to stop. There is also a feeling of helplessness that comes with being unable to stop. I tried all means to stop but I just couldn’t. Eventually, I was fired and the relatives I had moved in with stopped tolerating my addiction. By then I was also stealing to sustain my addiction. I stole from work and from home.
Eventually, when I was jobless and had managed to destroy all relationships I had, I started sleeping in lodgings in Nairobi, and when I ran out of money, I became homeless. For three years, I lived on the streets with other homeless people, hustling just enough to buy drugs.
At some point, even the street children rejected me because I couldn’t fend for myself and wanted to eat what they had scavenged. Thankfully, an old friend from university gave me one more chance to go to rehab again.
By the time I checked into rehab, the drug use was pure misery. I needed the drugs to function and “be normal”. I took this last chance to beat my addiction with determination and I was able to free myself from addiction. Currently, I am on a mission to not only help others fight addiction but also help the country prevent and reduce addiction cases.
A national crisis
We have a serious problem as a country when it comes to addiction. We have about 400,000 people in urgent need of addiction treatment but our facilities can only handle about 10,000 patients at a time. A big percentage of those in need are not accessing the help they need to recover and live normal lives.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. In the 14th edition of the Biannual Report on the Status of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Control in Kenya, NACADA and the National Assembly reported that 10.4 per cent of Kenyans, a percentage that accounts for 2.8 million people aged between 15 and 65 years have alcohol use disorder, 6.8 per cent are affected by tobacco use disorder, 3.1 per cent use miraa, (khat), and 08 per cent are affected by bhang use disorder.
In an earlier report released in 2017 by NACADA, 18 per cent of the population was abusing at least one drug. Undoubtedly, we are not the most sober nation, and this eats into our GDP – 3 per cent to 6 per cent of the country’s GDP is channelled into tackling addiction.
As a country, we are losing a lot of revenue as alcoholics and drug addicts drop out of the workforce. With this in mind, it is important to have in place prevention programs to nip addiction at the bud before we hit a crisis. If you invest one shilling in prevention, you save 10 in treatment.
As it is now, rehab facilities are already overwhelmed. Also, those who’ve been to the facilities still need a lot of follow-up and after-care programs to prevent relapse. An addict needs continuous support rather than timed care that ends after a while.
Addiction prevention is a multi-layered process.
We can start as early as primary school, but first, we have to understand the science behind addiction. In 2018, NACADA reported that about 20.2 per cent of primary school children had used at least one drug in their lifetime with prescription drugs being the most common, followed by alcohol.
This shows that Kenya’s children are at risk of early exposure and possible addiction. However, it is possible to identify those predisposed to addiction and work on protecting them from exposure as early as possible. It is also possible to identify a particular population prone to addiction.
By looking at community patterns and data, there is a chance to focus our attention on those most vulnerable and prevent further exposure to drugs. Remember that the earlier a child is exposed to alcohol, drugs such as heroin, cigarettes or bhang, the harder it is to recover from addiction.
Studies show that drugs interfere with brain development. Alcohol, for instance, slows down the brain and impacts problem-solving negatively. Brain development starts from conception all the way to the early 20s, therefore, early exposure to drugs may cause a lot of impairment.
Parent Patrol
Schools, hospitals, the government, the community and parents should be at the forefront of fighting addiction. The government can create awareness programs and incorporate them into school curriculums. The community could also come up with programs to ensure that young boys and girls nurture their talents and spend their free time productively.
Parents, obviously, have a bigger role to play. In Israel, there is a programme that helps parents develop skills to patrol and talk to the youth about drug and alcohol use without attracting animosity.
Often, parents intervene aggressively when it is too late and this rarely works, but when they are trained to confront drug use as early as possible and in a manner that does not cause friction, we can prevent addiction.
Parent patrol could entail checking in on young people as they party. They don’t have to say anything, but their presence deters actions that would precipitate severe drug use and eventual addiction. For instance, if young people are having a party, over time, as alcohol and drugs take control of their decision-making, they tend to push the limits and engage in more risky behaviours.
Some will spike others’ drinks, rape may take place, and some may drink beyond normal limits while the most vulnerable youths in attendance may be subjected to traumatic violations.
Exposure to such traumatic events are a recipe for addiction in the future, however, the occasional presence of a sober adult during such parties may prevent traumatic events from taking place, therefore reducing the chances of addiction down the line.
The purpose of parent patrols is not to stop alcohol or drug use, but rather, to keep things in control. Over time, young people begin to trust patrol parents and may even engage them in case of an emergency.
Airbnb parties
As we embrace the festive season, there will be a lot of partying, and though addiction may not be a concern for those who will be making merry, this season presents many risks that lay a foundation for addiction. This year is particularly different because first, children are at home for two months, creating a relaxed environment for everyone.
In previous years, everyone was pre-occupied with back-to-school shopping and preparations. It is likely that young people will be experimenting with alcohol and drugs for the first time. With the rise of Airbnb parties, similar to house parties, parents need to be more cautious.
The critical goal for parents is to delay early exposure to alcohol and drug abuse. This can be achieved by being more present and talking to your children about alcoholism and addiction. If there have been cases of addiction in your family, it is likely that you and your children are genetically predisposed. Addiction may present itself in multiple ways among different members of the family.
Some may be alcoholics, others may be abusing other drugs or gambling. Mental disorders also go hand in hand with addiction. As people try to deal with mental conditions, they often turn to drugs and alcohol.
If your children are predisposed to mental conditions, it is also a good time to educate them on how to deal with symptoms when they arise, without turning to drugs. Remember, not everyone will be going into the festive season in a jolly mood. Some will be depressed and will be looking for avenues to drown their stress. Contrary to popular belief, children too get depressed.
Learning attitude for parents
The festive season is also a good time to hear out children’s views on drugs and alcohol. Discussions should be two-way. Through balanced conversations, you can pick out new trends, new drugs and possible risks that need to be addressed. Overall, parents need to have a learning attitude.
Many of us grew up in an environment that taught us parents are never wrong, but learning and improving your methods of raising your children does not take away your authority as a parent. Take time to look into studies about mental health, addiction and parenting. If possible, you can talk to a therapist and evaluate your parenting style from time to time. When talking to children about drugs, alcohol and partying, you may also consider using your mistakes as an example sometimes to help them understand that anyone can make mistakes.
Finally, for those recovering from addiction, as we get into the festive season, there will be many triggers. End-of-year work parties, weddings and family gatherings might be serving a lot of alcohol. Get into the Christmas mood with a strategy. If you are unable to avoid events serving alcohol, spend a short period of time and leave as soon as the main events are done.
If possible, hold and attend ‘clean’ parties that have no alcohol. You can get together with other people who are on a sobriety journey just like you. Attend addiction support meetings organised by popular groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and 12-Step programs.
If struggling to stay sober, reach out to your therapist and seek as much support as possible. Most importantly, don’t give up, keep trying and ask for help.
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