Drug usage has lately been alarming, attracting the attention of many and among others the most affected are the youths who consider this to be their hobby or stress reliever as they follow the phrase ‘enjoy while it lasts’ but little do they know the dangers they get exposed to?

The question remains when did this habit start, what transpired or how were the funds obtained?

Mash, not her real name, is a young adult who has been greatly affected by drug addiction. She narrates her journey and how everything has been.

She narrates how she involved herself in drug addiction at a very young age and what transpired into all this.

"I started using drugs at the age of 15. I know to some people this is not a young age, but I can say I was really young," stated Mash.

Frankly speaking, 15 years is freakingly young for such a young child to indulge themselves into drug usage. Mash explains the reasons for this action as well as some of the friends.

"I started using drugs because my friends around where we used to go by then were also using drugs, so I started this habit out of influence and peer pressure. I also have some of my friends who, due to some parenting issues also found themselves into it due to maybe the pressure from their guardians or parents, hence lacking the ability to bring them up with the right morals," added Mash.

Now, Mash explains how being on campus has had her meet all sorts of drug addicts that she hadn’t met before. On campus, Mash explains that all sorts of drugs are available and that most of the students lack control over their usage.

"Currently, I am in my first year pursuing a degree in Computer Science and I can frankly inform you that all sorts of drugs are available here - it's only one’s choice for the drug they need to use," Mash mentioned.

The situation in the universities concerning drug usage and addiction is worrying and alarming and therefore necessary measures need to be put in place before the matter gets out of hand.

Despite the fact that young adults and campus students are greatly affected by drug addiction, the question remains as to the source of income for these drugs, bearing in mind that most of these young people still depend on their parents for day-to-day survival.

Here is the view from Mash on the sources of income for the drugs: "We have so many people out here who get more money than they need. For example, someone receiving Ksh 2,000 for transport only, yet they only need to spend around Ksh 300, so if one is an addict or not, the unplanned cash will encourage them to indulge in drugs,” she explained.

Speaking to Madam Triza Mwangi, a staff member from the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), she explains that the youth are the most affected by drug usage and addiction, where the age bracket is between 18 and 40 years.

"NACADA is a corporation whose primary function is to initiate public education and awareness campaigns against drug abuse, especially among schools and other learning institutions. We also offer counseling services and rehabilitation services to those who are unable to overcome drug addiction, as well as carrying out research to determine the state of drug usage in our country.

“We also have a hotline, 1192, where the public can reach us for guidance and counseling on drugs," explained Triza.

We have the most commonly used drugs that most people prefer to others and Triza gives the statistic.

"From our latest research, alcohol is the most commonly abused drug, where 10.4 percent of Kenyans are greatly affected and this is close to three million Kenyans from our population. Tobacco is also another abused drug. Miraa (khat) and Bhang are also abused the most, while Cocaine, Heroin, as well as prescription drugs, also fall under the category of the most abused drugs in Kenya,” she said.

NACADA being the corporation that creates awareness and campaigns against drug abuseTriza explains the measures put in place to regulate drug usage in the country.

"First and foremost, we offer education to the public by ensuring that we go to schools - primary and high schools as well as universities and churches and create awareness among the public. We have also created a documentary titled National Guideline for Substance Use Prevention in Institutions of Basic Learning, which was inspired by the fact that young children are also victims of drug abuse.

Despite creating public awareness, NACADA is also on the run to work with the appropriate authorities to ensure that drug abuse is regulated as Triza states.

"We are working closely, hand in hand with government authorities such as KRA, KEBS, the Anti-Counterfeit Authority, authority as well as county governments to ensure that these measures are adhered to.

It is high time for us to join hands as a nation and fight drug abuse especially among the youth before we lose tomorrow’s generation.