Factors Contributing To Drug Abuse among the Youth in Kenya: A Case of Bamburi Location

Abstract

This paper investigates factors contributing to drug abuse among the youth in Kenya; a case of Bamburi Location. The paper also: establishes the nature and extent of drug abuse and related issues among the youths; establishes the level and sources of knowledge and awareness on drug abuse and related issues among the youth; investigates demographic factors contributing to drug abuse; investigates social-cultural factors contributing to drug abuse; investigates economic factors contributing to drug abuse; analyses the effects of drug abuse; interrogates the challenges faced against the fight of drug abuse; and recommends on how to curb and reduce drug abuse. In this paper, the authors use an explanatory study design where a study was conducted in Bamburi Location to establish factors contributing to drug abuse among youths in Kenya. The explanatory study design was adopted as it offers an explanation as to why youths engage in drug abuse in Kenya. A survey was conducted for the reason that it provides the information from the single selected sample whose findings can be used to offer a generalization for the whole country. The sample size for the study was 120 youth across all the sub locations in Bamburi location. The main findings of the study were: Demographic characteristics except gender do contribute to drug abuse in the area. Economic and social cultural factors also play a great role in influencing drug abuse in the area among the youth. Effects of drug abuse are diverse. They range from individual to societal effects such as poor health, poor personal hygiene, homosexuality, high school drop-out rate, high divorce rate, prostitution and increased crime. The main challenge facing the fight against drug abuse is corruption and lack of concern by the community in general. Suggested measures to fight the menace are to end corruption and focus on preventive education among the school-going youth. Though there are various factors leading to drug abuse, this paper focuses on demographic factors, social-cultural, and economic leading to pervasiveness of the menace in the Bamburi community/Location. Basically there are various demographic factors contributing to drug abuse such as age, occupation, religion, and marital status. Demographic factors also work in close relationship with social-cultural factors such as one’s perceived respect by others, the social environment, peer pressure influence, social learning from parents, one’s culture and cultural believes, customs, norms and values. Economic factors also play a great role in determining one’s behavior especially in cases of deviance. One’s economic status may influence one’s indulgence in such activities. This paper is, however, limited to the investigation of these factors and recommends the way forward in reducing or curbing drug abuse in Bamburi Location.