The recently released study by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) has revealed a harrowing reality: nearly one in two Kenyan university students has experimented with drugs or alcohol, with tobacco and nicotine products emerging as a gateway to addiction.
The report, Status of Drugs and Substance Use Among University Students in Kenya, paints a grim picture of an industry aggressively targeting youth while mental health disorders and substance dependency surge.
The study surveyed 15,678 students across 17 public and private universities, uncovering that 45.6 per cent had tried at least one substance in their lifetime, while 26.6 per cent were current users. Alcohol, tobacco, khat (miraa/muguka), and cannabis dominate, but newer threats like vapes, nicotine pouches, and cannabis edibles (e.g., “weed cookies”) are rapidly gaining traction. Shockingly, 1 in 17 students vaped nicotine in the past month, and one in 24 used nicotine pouches—products critics argue are marketed deceptively to young adults.
Friends, peers, and online platforms serve as primary drug sources, but the tobacco industry’s tactics loom large. Novel products like flavored vapes and discreet nicotine pouches—often advertised as “safer alternatives”—mask their addictive risks. “These are designed to hook youth early,” warned NACADA, noting that 20.4 per cent of students had tried tobacco products. Private university students face heightened risks, with 35 per cent using substances monthly, compared to 22.6 per cent in public institutions.
The consequences are dire: one in 12 students battles severe alcohol addiction, while one in 17 suffers moderate-to-severe depression. Substance use correlates with academic failure, disciplinary issues, and trauma linked to childhood violence or stress.
Despite Kenya’s ban on shisha, 1 in 22 students still uses it, while vaping—unregulated and glamorised on social media—fuels a new wave of nicotine dependence. “There is an urgent need to ban these dangerous products,” says Thomas Lindi, the CEO Kenya tobacco Control & Health Promotion Alliance. “Youth see vaping as harmless, but it’s a pathway to lifelong dependency.”
Without intervention, Nacada warns of a “lost generation” grappling with addiction, mental illness, and stunted potential. Universities, already strained by 5.8 per cent of students facing moderate-to-severe depression, could see dropout rates climb as substance use disrupts academic performance. Economically, Kenya risks a burdened healthcare system and diminished workforce.
We call for stricter enforcement of drug-free zones, expanded counseling services, and collaboration with social media platforms to counter misinformation. Recommendations include banning alcohol vendors within 300 meters of campuses—a policy mirroring the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act—and mandatory university housing to limit exposure to drug-infested neighborhoods.
This is a societal crisis. Parents, universities, and policymakers must unite to dismantle the networks profiting from our youth’s vulnerability.
As Kenya marks World No Tobacco Day on May 31, 2025, under the
theme “Unmasking the Appeal,” advocates demand accountability.
Will the tobacco industry’s tactics be unmasked before another generation is
lost to addiction? The answer hinges on urgent, collective action.
The author is the communications, media
& digital advocacy lead at the Kenya Tobacco Control and Health Promotion
Alliance (Ketca)
