Factors influencing drug abuse among the youths in Vihiga sub-county, Kenya

Abstract

Drug abuse amongst the youth in Kenya has become a serious problem affecting all the people of the country. Drug abuse is responsible for lost wages, destruction of property in schools, soaring health care costs and broken families. The purpose of this study was to establish the factors influencing youth to drug abuse in Kenya focusing on Vihiga Sub County. Specifically the study sought to; investigate the demographic factors that influence youths to abuse drugs in Vihiga Sub County; ascertain the socio-cultural factors influencing youth abuse drugs in Vihiga Sub County; determine the economic factors influencing youth to abuse drugs in Vihiga Sub County; and establish the nature and extent of drug abuse and sources of knowledge and awareness on drug abuse and related issues among the youth in Vihiga Sub County. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The population for the purpose of this study was youth from Vihiga Sub County, Kenya. Purposive sampling will be used to select 365 respondents from shopping centres, rehabilitation centres and institutions such as schools and colleges due to proximity to the researcher, time available for research and budgetary constraints. The study relied on data collected through a questionnaire structured to meet the objectives of the study. Responses were tabulated, coded and processed by use of a computer Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20.0 programme to analyze the data. Quantitative information was summarized into frequencies, percentages and graphs using tables. Qualitative information in the interview guide was transcribed and reported in narrative reports. Samples t test and one-way ANOVA were also used. The study found that there exists a positive association between; Demographic Factors and drug abuse in vihiga sub county, Socio - Cultural Factors and drug abuse in vihiga subcounty, Economic Factors and drug abuse in vihiga sub-county, and sources of knowledge and awareness on drug abuse among youth in Vihiga Sub County. This positive association suggests that when one factor increases, it courses acoresponding increase in another factor. The study therefore concludes that Demographic Factors, Socio - Cultural Factors, Economic Factors and sources of knowledge and awareness on drug abuse among youths in Vihiga Sub County are factors influencing youths to abuse drugs in the sub-county. The study recommends that educators and other professionals need to act on drug abuse in Kenyan institutions; programs are now more than ever needed to educate people on drug problem in Kenya; there is need for the government to; take action should come in to play to end issues of corruption which has been indicated as the main challenge facing the fight against drug abuse in the study area; and the police should be empowered to handle even the so called influential drug dealers and distributors. The study further recommends that there is need to conduct a similar study which will attempt to find out the effects of drug abuse in Kenya; and to investigate the role of the government in the fight against drug abuse in the area