The western region has the highest prevalence of substance abuse in Kenya.
The 2022 National Survey on the Status of Drug and Substance Use in Kenya by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) shows the region leading at 26 percent.
Eastern and Nairobi are ranked second and third with 20 percent and 19.1 percent respectively.
The report indicates that one out of eight Kenyans aged 15 to 65 years are at least using one substance. This means that 4.7 million Kenyans are abusing drugs.
Men are leading in the population at 3.9 million while women are 949,298.
The most abused drugs are alcohol, khat, and cannabis
The report further indicates that at least 3.2 million Kenyans, which is equivalent to 1 out of 8 Kenyans are using alcohol.
This includes 2.5 million males and 687,356 women.
Western region continues to lead in alcohol consumption at 23 percent followed by Coast at 13 percent. Central was listed third with 12.8 percent.
“Nairobi region had the highest prevalence of manufactured legal alcohol (10.3 percent) followed by central (10 percent) and Eastern (8.4 percent),” the report reads.
Western leads in chang’aa consumption followed by Nyanza and Rift Valley.
Western also topped in traditional liquor consumption followed by Coast and Nyanza.
Additionally, the report shows that 2.3 million Kenyans are using tobacco.
Males are leading at 2 million while women are at 300,000.
In terms of Miraa and Muguka consumption, the report shows that at least 965,000 Kenyans abuse Khat.
Those using cannabis stand at 519,000 in the country with 476,000 men and 43,000 women.
This is a 90 percent increase from the last five years.
Nairobi, Nyanza, and Coast are leading in cannabis consumption at 6.3 percent, 2.4 percent, and 1.9 percent respectively.
This comes as the government is increasing efforts to curb drug abuse in the country.
