We all know for a fact that drug addiction problem exist across the world. We also know that each country is trying their best to solve this problem as this has been the root cause of some of the biggest problems in the world, especially crime. The effects of drug to humans can be very dangerous which can even lead them to kill, steal, rape, and so many others. In spite of all the efforts, still, on a daily basis we would read from the news or see on TV that addiction still exists.
In fact, it has been on the rise in Africa. Millions of people have been using drugs, specifically prescription opioids and opiates like heroin and opium. This is also causing drug-related deaths in Africa. This rise is a sign that the African government should exert more effort and find ways to solve the problem not only to save the victims, but even the users who are basically destroying themselves because of drugs. In this case, addiction treatment centers can be a big help to lessen the number of drug addicted individuals.
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Drug addiction in Kenya, the rest of Africa and the world is on the rise, according to a recently released United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report.
UNODC estimates that internationally 33 million people use opioids – prescription opioids and opiates such as opium and heroin. Two million of the users are in Africa, with East Africa having 260 000.
The leading cause of international drug-related deaths was opioid overdoses, which accounted for three in four deaths according to the World Drug report. Almost 90% of pharmaceutical opioids seized, mainly the painkiller Tramadol, were in African countries, mostly west, central and North Africa.
Furthermore, the nonmedical use of prescription medicine is becoming a serious threat to public health and law enforcement on a global scale.
Codeine addiction has been reported in Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Niger and Chad. In Kenya youth are increasingly getting addicted to cough syrups with codeine and codeine-based painkillers often sold to them in nightclubs.
The worst affected are those aged 22 to 35, and are mostly found in Mandera, Mombasa and Nairobi counties, the Daily Nation reported on Tuesday.
There were 1 338 drug-related deaths in Kenya in 2016, according to a review of drug abuse data by Nation Newsplex.
