The fight against rising alcohol and illicit drug abuse intensified in Kisumu on Saturday as Blue Cross Kenya, the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), the Kisumu County Government and community groups joined forces to raise awareness about the growing menace.
The partners held an Alcohol Prevention Awareness Walk from Kondele to Nyalenda slums, bringing together community members and stakeholders in a campaign aimed at promoting prevention and protecting children, young people and families from the devastating effects of substance abuse.
Speaking to the media at the Blue Cross base camp in Nyalenda A, Blue Cross Kenya Manager Brian Magwaro said the campaign was designed to educate communities on the importance of preventing alcohol and drug abuse before it takes root.
“The main aim of the walk is to create awareness in communities that prevention is the best way to keep our children and youth healthier and safe,” Magwaro said.
Magwaro said the awareness campaign is being conducted in four counties; Kisumu, Homa Bay, Kakamega and Kiambu, identified as areas facing significant challenges linked to alcohol and substance abuse.
He said early exposure to alcohol and drugs can have long-term consequences, including school dropouts, poor health, addiction, family breakdown and deaths.
According to Magwaro, recent NACADA research indicates that some children begin consuming alcohol as early as six years old, highlighting the need for prevention programmes to begin at an early age.
“Our main target is the whole community. Although we are focusing on keeping children and youth safe, we believe that to fight this menace, we must involve everyone,” he said.
Magwaro added that Blue Cross Kenya has worked with more than 80 organisations, as well as county and national government agencies, in efforts to address alcohol and substance abuse.
He said the campaign also seeks to encourage communities to support affected individuals instead of abandoning them, noting that families continue to lose loved ones to alcohol-related illnesses and substance abuse.
NACADA urges youth to stay away from alcohol
NACADA Kisumu and Siaya official Sarah Koskei urged young people who have not started consuming alcohol or using illicit drugs to stay away from the substances altogether.
Koskei warned that people who begin consuming alcohol at a young age are more likely to develop severe addiction, making recovery more difficult.
“When you start using alcohol when you are younger, addiction becomes severe. Getting someone out of addiction who started at a tender age can be difficult. We therefore need to start prevention early to have a healthier generation in future,” she said.
She encouraged young people to seek help if they are already struggling with addiction, assuring them that support services are available.
Koskei also pointed to the government’s policy raising the legal drinking age to 21, saying the move was intended to protect young people, including university and college students, from early exposure to alcohol.
“To our young people, you can be happy without getting intoxicated. Please don’t start, but if you have already started, we can still help,” she said.
Church steps up support for affected families
Mavuno Church Kisumu pastor Caroline Ogweno said faith-based organisations have an important role to play in helping children and families affected by alcohol and substance abuse.
Ogweno said the church has encountered cases of Grade 10 students whose education has been disrupted because their parents struggle with alcohol addiction and are unable to meet their children’s school needs.
She said poverty and family challenges can further expose young people to substance abuse, adding that the church works with Blue Cross Kenya to support affected children through rehabilitation and education.
“Our main calling to our young people is that prevention is better than cure. As a church, we are taking responsibility for educating these children. The church has a role to ensure young people who are addicted are rehabilitated,” Ogweno said.
She revealed that about 128 children and 50 adults seek help through the church every week, with the institution welcoming those affected and connecting them to support.
The stakeholders called for stronger collaboration between government agencies, churches, families, community organisations and residents to prevent alcohol and illicit drug abuse, particularly among children and young people.
