Drug abuse: Substance ( Drug ) Abuse is

Substance ( Drug ) Abuse is increasing in Kenya and especially among the youth. Current statistics indicate that more than half of drug users are aged 10-19 years. Most studies done in the country indicate that the commonly used drugs are nicotine, alcohol and cannabis. Due to the strategic location of Kenya in the East African region and Nairobi being an economic hub in the region, there has been an upsurge of international narcotic drug trafficking leading to increased injecting drug users ... The use of psychoactive drugs and psychotropic substances without medical supervision is associated with significant health risks and can lead to the development of drug use disorders. Untreated drug use disorders increase risks of morbidity and mortality for individuals, trigger substantial costs to society including lost productivity, increased health care expenditure, and costs related to criminal justice, social welfare, and other social consequences. Providing effective prevention ... Substance abuse refers to the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs. One of the key impacts of illicit drug use on society is the negative health consequences experienced by its members. Drug use also puts a heavy financial burden on individuals, families and society. Psychoactive drugs are substances that, when taken in or administered into one's system, affect mental processes, e.g. cognition or affect. This term and its equivalent, psychotropic drug , are the most neutral and descriptive term for the whole class of substances, licit and illicit, of interest to drug policy. ‘Psychoactive’ does not necessarily imply dependence-producing, and in common parlance, the term is often left unstated, as in ‘ drug use’ or ‘substance abuse ’.