THE INFLUENCE OF DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE ON FREQUENT INTER-ETHNIC VIOLENCE AND CLASHES IN MOUNT ELGON DISTRICT A CASE OF THE YOUTH IN CHEPTAIS DIVISION.

ABSTRACT

One of the most compelling challenges facing Kenya today is the problem of illicit drugs and youth violence. The picture is grim with the Kenyan statistics on the drugs scenario is taken into account. With a turnover of around Kshs100 billions, it is the third largest business in Kenya, next to petroleum and arms trade. About 10 million people all over the country consume one drug or the other. Drug addiction causes immense human distress and the illegal production and distribution of drugs have spawned crime and violence in Kenya. Today, there is no part of Kenya that is free from the curse of drug trafficking and drug addiction. Millions of drug addicts, all over the world, are leading miserable lives, between life and death.

However, among the youth in this sample, the majority who committed crimes did not do so in connection with drugs (14 per cent). Given all these social challenges, the key question which had been on the researcher’s mind constantly, was how then can these drug abuse and youth violence interventions be effectively managed to particularly, the rural youth majority?

Therefore, the overall aim of this project was to explore the influence of drug and substance abuse among youth contributes to outbreak of inter-ethnic violence in Mount Elgon. The researcher was more interested in the relationship between illicit drugs and youth violence so to develop intervention measures. . The objectives that guided the researcher in this experiential investigation were: to establish illicit drugs commonly abused in Mount Elgon District, to identify the root causes of illicit drug abuse among the Mount Elgon District, to find out the relationship between youth violent behavior and illicit drug use, to find out whether the type and number of illicit drugs influence violence, to establish the influence of illicit drugs on domestic violence, to ascertain whether socio demographic characteristics influence abuse of illicit drugs and youth violent behavior,  and finally examine the possible  suggestions for public health personnel to reduce and prevent illicit drug  use and crime among youth in the sample area. By adopting these objectives thefield study sort to establish answers to the researcher’s major question.

The theoretical framework was based on written literature concerning how drugs, such as alcohol and Marijuana, may induce violence. These drugs can also be a catalyst for aggressive-prone individuals who exhibit violent behavior as result of taking them. To understand these changes in behaviors critically according the nature of study, the researcher administered appropriate instruments. These were mainly semi-structured interviews, Focus Group Discussions written material questionnaires and direct observation. The results that emerged from the analysis of data on illicit drug and substance and youth violence yielded the following conclusions: Most youth respondents reported an increase in their abuse of illicit drugs leading to immense human distress and the illegal production and distribution of drugs have spawned crime and violence in the whole country. Thousands of drug addicts, all over the country, are leading miserable lives, between life and death. As a result of drug addiction youth, the results showed that (61per cent) of the respondents who had consumed alcohol caused violence. That total accounts for over one-third of all arrests in this division. Many perpetrators of violent crime were also using illicit drugs. Some of these drugs, such as marijuana, tobacco, may induce violence. These drugs also were a catalyst for aggressive-prone individuals who exhibit violent behavior as result of taking them.

The need for preventing alcohol and other drug problems is clear when the following statistics are examined: Alcohol is a key factor in up to 64 percent of manslaughters, 62 percent of assaults, 58 percent of murders/attempted murders, 49 percent of robberies, and 46 percent of burglaries. Among police convicts, 45.2 percent of those convicted of rape reported being under the influence of alcohol or alcohol and other drugs at the time of the offense. Over 61 percent of men and 53 percent of women arrested for property crimes (burglary, larceny, robbery) at Kang’ang’a Police Station who were voluntarily tested, tested positive for illicit drug use. At Cheptais District Officer’s Office, 67 percent of all reported child abuse and neglect cases were associated with parental alcohol and other drug abuse. However, in most cases it seems that drug use does not generally lead to violent behaviors. For the teenagers who use drugs, they are likely to participate in violent behavior often and they are likely to continue participating in violent activities much longer as compared to the violent teenagers who do not take drugs. This research targeted participants who were economically disadvantaged youth between the 16 and 35 years from households with family incomes below a dollar (poverty line). These findings may not be conclusive given the cyclical nature of research. Some other researchers can also carryout the same investigation before generalizing these conclusions.

Comprehensive strategy involving specific programs to bring about an overall reduction in use of drugs has be evolved by the various government agencies and NGOs to further supplement the measures like education, counseling, treatment and rehabilitation programs. Kenya should enter into bilateral agreements on drug trafficking with other countries. The spread and entrenchment of drug abuse needs to be prevented, as the cost to the people, environment and economy will be colossal. The unseemly spectacle of unkempt drug abusers dotting lanes and by lanes, cinema halls and other public places should be enough to goad the authorities to act fast to remove the scourge of this social evil. Moreover, the spread of such reprehensible habits among the relatively young segment of society ought to be arrested at all cost. There is a need for the government enforcement agencies, the non-governmental philanthropic agencies, and others to collaborate and supplement each other's efforts for a solution to the problem of drug addiction through education and legal actions.