University students the world over are notorious for their knack to let their hair down and have devil-may-care fun.
The infamy spikes the blood pressure of parents and guardians but has become something of a rite of passage.
But in a sobering new report it emerges that the binges of Kenyan students are not the reserve of wellplanned weekends.
For teenagers and young adults in college any time is game - lifting their spirits trumps even the all-important lessons.
It now established that nearly half of college youths are almost always tipsy while long-suffering lecturers huff and puff on mind-bending calculus and convoluted theories.
A staggering 40 per cent (total college population 500,000) are either hooked to alcohol or another intoxicant of their taste.
The National Authority for Campaign Against Drug Abuse report released on Thursday paints a wretched outlook, with one in every 12 university students battling addition.
The craving for drugs, especially alcohol, was most prevalent among students in private and public universities.
The burden of alcohol-related addiction was found to be higher among private and public university students, especially the non-religious ones.
Students not affiliated to any religion or those who ascribed to Buddhist teachings were the majority.
It is no coincide that third years and especially self-sponsored students, who ordinarily enjoy the backing of well-off parents and guardians, account for a large portion of the social malaise.
“This is a national issue that requires collective attention,” Nacada chief executive officer Anthony Omerikwa said, even as it emerged that friends were the main source of drugs for most first-time users.
The survey on drug use among university students also revealed that as a result, there was high prevalence of depression.
Nacada established that one in every 17 students had moderately severe depressive disorders with the case being severe in another 3.5 per cent.
The study found that female students had a higher prevalence of depression compared to their male counterparts.
It was further established that at least 8.7 per cent of university students had severe alcohol use disorders – addiction - the males being higher.
“One in every 10 male students and one in every 15 female students had severe alcohol use disorders,” the report reads.
Nacada reports that drugs are easily accessible to students as the spaces within the colleges and neighbourhoods were not drug-free.
It turned out that learners were able to access drugs at canteens, bars, and premises in the university neighbourhoods, as well as from some of their lecturers and support staff.
It was established that some students were also dealing in drugs, hence sustaining their convenient supply and sale to the other learners.
Parents have also been implicated in the report as among the leading sources of the drugs abused by university learners.
Nacada says evidence available indicated increased availability and accessibility to alcohol, tobacco, khat and cannabis.
“Data also showed that one in every four university students in Kenya was currently using at least one drug or substance of abuse,” the report reads.
“Cannabis was the most commonly used narcotic drug in the past month among university students in Kenya.”
It was also found that more students could be getting a shot of prescription drugs with a high – such as meth, codeine syrup and ketamine.
“There was an emerging gradual penetration of new psychoactive substances within the university environment,” the authority said.
Students are also said to be getting drugs easily through online platforms and websites that promote their sale and use.
Besides alcohol abuse, Nacada established that more than 20 per cent of university students had used at least one type of khat in their lifetime.
A similar range was reported from among the students who confessed to having used at least one type of tobacco product.
Those who have used cigarettes were higher at 14 per cent, followed by 10 per cent for shisha, and eight per cent for e-cigarettes.
It was established that 18 per cent of university students had used cannabis, which is also rated among the most commonly abused drugs.
One in every seven students had used smoked cannabis, while another 11 per cent said they had taken edibles in their lifetime.
The study showed that alcohol was the most available substance at 87 per cent followed by cigarettes (64 per cent), shisha (41 per cent), and vape cigarettes at 31 per cent.
The survey established that the use of inhalants is also prevalent among students, with at least 5.5 per cent having tried the varieties.
“One in every two university students – 45 per cent - had ever used at least one drug or substance of abuse in their life,” Nacada report reads.
The survey has elicited concerns, especially from government officials, on the need for action to end the drugs menace.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the government would enforce regulations against sale of alcohol near educational institutions.
“We should implement regulations against the sale of inexpensive alcohol near educational institutions as a first step in combating drug and substance abuse among our youth,” the CS said.
Murkomen described the data as alarming, singling out the finding that 26 per cent of university students are using at least one of the listed substances.
“The reality demonstrated by this report, which shows that female university students are also becoming increasingly more vulnerable, is a reminder to us that addiction knows no gender,” he said.
The authority has recommended that universities should consider mandatory accommodation of all university students within the institutions.
Nacada says that where the colleges cannot provide the spaces, students should strictly reside in accredited privately managed accommodation facilities.
The National Police Service, following the reports, said they would involve more officers in containing drugs use in the country.
“To protect our young people from drug abuse, we will strengthen our efforts by involving the anti-terror unit,” Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja said.
The inspector general said the government would upscale the anti-narcotics unit to the level of the anti-terror unit.
The authorities have also warned of severe sanctions against political leaders who exploit youth by intoxicating them to disrupt public gatherings.
