Here’s how to end drug problem

I have some bad news for you. One in every six of us aged 15-65 is doing drugs. That’s something of an exaggeration; it includes alcohol and tobacco. In other words, 4,733,152 folks are quaffing, injecting, inhaling or snorting something.

And men are in deep: One in three in this cohort is abusing drugs—3,733,152 men and boys are getting sloshed or stoned.

Do you remember what Speaker of the Senate Amason Kingi said when he was defending the local administration over failure to detect the Shakahola massacre? None of the victims was local, so the chiefs and other local lawmen were not too keen on the happenings in that church.

Because you have heard these dramatic social media stories about women in Murang’a offering men Sh300,000 to impregnate them, you might think that alcoholism and its many consequences are a central Kenya problem and you thus have no reason to be concerned.

You might even think, if you are a psychotic politico, that this is a God-sent weapon to weaken the Kikuyu population and release its stranglehold on electoral numbers and wealth.

Actually, the worst substance abuse problem is not in Central; the place just gets more coverage and attention. And the substances being abused there are most likely more destructive than those being taken elsewhere in the country.

Western region has the biggest substance abuse problem with a 26.6 per cent prevalence; a third of the folks are on something. Eastern is 20.7 per cent, Nairobi 19 per cent.

Some 3,199,119 Kenyans in the 15-65 cohort drink—2,511,763, or one in five, of them are men. Once again, in the alcohol league, Western takes the cup; 23.8 per cent are drowning in it, as are 13.9 per cent in Coast and 12.8 per cent in Central.

So, why is it castrating the ‘Centralians’ and their women have to hire the even drunker ‘Westerners’ to handle childbirth duties? In Western, they are drinking lots of chang’aa and busaa while in Nairobi and Central they do manufactured stuff, not of all it the legal alcohol sold in good bars. Methinks the explanation lies there.

Why is this such a massive crisis for Central? First, the people have money; they can afford those factory-produced liquors. In some other regions, they make their own stuff; which, in the end, is probably less harmful and addictive than the factory kind. Does anybody know what people drink in those small plastic bottles and what it does to their bodies long-term?

Secondly, these substances are available. They are distributed to every village and hamlet. Anybody who wants a little bottle of industrial moonshine can find it at the shopping centre or so-called liquor store in the estate, day or night.

Bleeding to death

And it is accessible. It is basically uncontrolled, not too much fuss about quality; after all, corruption exists to circumvent such small problems.

In any case, those supposed to police the quality of substances we consume and protecting the population from harm, long- and short-term, are possibly beneficiaries of the alcohol trade.

Due to corruption and parasitic callous tendencies among leaders, a nation is slowly bleeding to death. Kenya is losing a proportion of its labour force—viable young males—that it requires to perpetuate itself as a healthy population, produce its goods and services and defend itself.

I have seen young people, aged 30 or less, whose lived are basically over: They steal, fight, try to cut each others’ throats—because of alcohol.

And these are reasonably well-educated and clever young people from good families. If as a family your sons are in that category, then you have hit a wall. Your line is over. And the same will happen, eventually, to your community.

I don’t think alcoholism is a problem without a solution. I don’t even think one needs a commission of inquiry or endless committees to figure out the solution to alcohol abuse.

Many times we form committees and do high profile delegation of tasks when we do not have the will or intention to solve the problem. I think the government should impose a total and draconian ban on these factory moonshines.

Cancel all licences for liquor producers and allow only a few highly controlled factories to produce tightly regulated spirits.

Secondly, use fiscal measures to put spirits and other greatly addictive substances out of the reach of the majority.

Thirdly, provide for mandatory and aggressive rehabilitation of alcoholics, especially the young ones. I am all for being soft and ‘baba baba-ing’ drug addicts and drunks raiding their mothers’ handbags. But necessity requires strong measures.

Lastly, we must launch social warfare against all harmful substances. Drug dealers should not be given the high table in society. They must be prosecuted and jailed. The faiths should not turn their back on addicts and their facilitators.

Why do you agree to worship with those who sell drugs to your children? And why are you taking money from drug peddlers, in the name of tithe and offertory? By taking that dirty money, you are selling the future of your children, family and community.

I know its not what you want to hear, but it’s the truth.

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