NACADA Photo. Courtesy
By Blessing Tamara,
NACADA has revealed that more than 45 percent of university students in the country have used narcotics at some point in their lives.
In its report presented on Thursday, NACADA stated that more than 8% of university students are drug addicts and should be registered in treatment centers.
Speaking on Thursday during the launch of the report, the CS Interior and National administration, Kipchumba Murkomen, has described the issue as a chronic issue that needs to be dealt with urgently.
The study conducted in 17 colleges in the country has revealed that the use of marijuana among students in the country is 10 percent, which is five times more than the percentage of users across the country.
It has also revealed a significant increase in the use of shisha among female students.
Prof. John Muteti is the Chief Executive Officer of NACADA in the country. “45.6% of students admitted that they have abused drugs or substances in their lives. Miraa was also prevalent among students (10.1 percent), muguga (9.9 percent), smoked marijuana (14.9 percent) and edible marijuana (11.9 percent).”
The main risk factors that involved students using drugs included inability to cope with stressful situations, unresolved childhood trauma, Sexual Violence, gambling among others.
Some of the mitigation measures suggested include guidance and counseling services, mentoring programs, affordable rehabilitation services, parental monitoring and awareness efforts in all institutions.
