1 in 12 University Students Addicted to Drugs, Urgently Need Rehab: NACADA Report

One in every 12 university students is in dire need of rehabilitation amid revelations that they are battling addiction.

A report by the anti-drugs agency Nacada shows a rise in the number of students abusing drugs and psychotropic substances.

The ‘Status of Drugs and Substance Abuse Among University Students’ report reveals that 4,946 students in private universities are affected, representing a severity of 9.5 per cent.

In public universities, as many as 10,732 students are affected, representing a severity of 8.3 per cent, with number of affected males almost at par with females.

The study shows that 8,496 male students and 7,090 female students suffer from severe addiction.

About 4,219 first-year students were affected, 3,813 for the second year, 3,731 in the case of third years, and 3,792 fourth-year students.

Nacada director of research John Muteti decried during the launch that there are only about 300 rehabilitation centres to cater for 1.3 million Kenyans in need of help.

He said those with severe alcohol addiction cannot function without the drug, with national university prevalence of addiction standing at 8.7 per cent.

Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Nacada CEO Anthony Omerikwa and board chair Stephen Mairori attended the launch. Murkomen called for the strengthening of guidance and counselling departments in universities.

Kanja said in order to boost the war against drug and substance abuse, the anti-narcotics unit will be up-scaled to the level of the anti-terror unit.

The survey involved 17 universities where 15,678 students were interviewed, with a response rate of 99.7 per cent.

Public and private universities in Nairobi, Coast, Nyanza, Western, Central, Eastern North-Eastern and Rift Valley were involved.

The survey aimed to assess the status of drugs and substance use, establish the extent of alcohol use disorders and risk factors of the same.

There were proportionately more (68.5 per cent) students from public universities compared to private universities (31.5 per cent).

It was established that alcohol was available at 87 per cent followed by cigarettes, shisha, e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, kuber and chewed tobacco.

Smoked cannabis was the most available narcotic drug followed by cannabis edibles, with cocaine accounting for 15.1 per cent and 14 per cent for heroin.

Results from focus group discussions targeting university students identified multiple cannabis edibles ranging from cookies, mabuyu, lollipops and juice.

Morphine, a potent opioid used for management of severe pain, was reported as an emerging substance of abuse in the students’ focus group discussions.

Friends, according to the study, were the main sources of drugs (66.4 per cent) followed by canteen, bar, and premises in university neighbourhoods.