DRUG ABUSE IN KOROGOCHO

Drug abuse is one of the major public health problem in korogocho. This behaviour has become very much prevalant. The most commonly used drugs are bhang, sniffing glue, chewing miraa, drinking changaa and taking of psychotropic drugs. we decided to research on chewing of miraa and drinking of changaa as it has been a deep rooted problem in the slum, our aim was to highlight facts about them and collect vital leading information for the youths to decide upon.       

Drug abuse is one of the major public health problem in korogocho. This behaviour has become very much prevalant. The most commonly used drugs are bhang, sniffing glue, chewing miraa, drinking changaa and taking of psychotropic drugs. we decided to research on chewing of miraa and drinking of changaa as it has been a deep rooted problem in the slum, our aim was to highlight facts about them and collect vital leading information for the youths to decide upon.
WHAT IS Miraa ?

Miraa(pronounced "cot") is a natural stimulant from the Catha edulis plant. Khat plant is a thirsty seedless plant which best grows above sea by many thousands of feet and can load droughts for several months while other crops fail. A new research on miraa shows that it contains a chemical (cathinone) which affects the central nervous system.
Fresh Khat leaves are crimson-brown and glossy but become yellow- green and leathery as they age. They also emit a strong smell. The most favored part of the leaves is the young shoots near the top of the plant..
MECHANISM OF ACTION
* In humans, it is a stimulant producing a feeling of exaltation, a feeling of being liberated from space and time.
It may produce extreme loquacity, inane laughing, and eventually semicoma. It may also be an euphorient and used chronically can lead to a form of delirium tremens. So, Khat chewing produces a mild cocaine- or amphetamine-like euphoria that is much less potent than either substance with no reports of a rush sensation or paranoia indicated.

KNOWN EFFECTS
It stimulates brain and spinal cord through synapses resulting in :
- Alleviation of fatigue and reduction of depression .
- Euphoria , excitation , high activity and mood .
- Increasing levels of alertness and ability to concentrate .
- Increasing of confidence, friendliness, contentment and flow of ideas .
- Increases motor activity .
-.- Dispel feeling of hunger .
- Casual users claim Khat lifts spirits, sharpens thinking .
- Advocates of Khat use claim that it eases symptoms of diabetes, asthma, and stomach/intestinal tract disorders.
- Socially: It promotes communication as it's used to meet people, socialize with each others, communication issues and problems solving.
SIDE EFFECTS ( OVERDOSE SYMPTOMS )-

-Grandiose delusions . 
-Insomnia (loss of sleep ( alertness )).
- Anorexia ( loss of appetite ) and loss of weight .
- Increase heart rate
- Increase blood pressure        
- breathing difficulties
- Stomach irritation .     -- Constipation which may precipitate hernias . - -----Khat plant may be treated chemically which may affect the liver (chemical hepatitis) .
- It interferes with absorption of iron and other minerals if taken internally .
- Opponents claim that Khat damages health by suppression of appetite and prevention of sleep .
- when its effects wear off, generates mild lapses of depression similar to those observed among cocaine users.

A small radio was on; men were dancing and swaying their hands in jovial mood. They carried the small iron tins in their hands. The warm and smelly alcohol was all over the place. Some dipped long clear straws into the liquid.
Nanjala 40 is just sitting and watching them calculating her profit- one tin for ten shillings.Nanjala has been in the business for the last five years and has educated her only child up to the High school level. Her husband who is a jobless drunkard depends on her income for survival.
Changaa drinkers in Korogocho are low income earners
The human right group in Kenya is now lobbying for Changaa prohibition Act that could earn the brewers a jail sentence.
I wonder what women like Nanjalla who depend on the business would survive on.
“ I cannot listen to people crying over their loved ones becoming drunkards while my family depends on this business.” Concludes Nanjalla in a relaxed mood.

Apart from Nanjalla we were able to get information from Nderitu.He says, “I started drinking six years ago reason being increase in death of my relatives and friends arising from HIV and AIDS. The disease is very rampant in the area which is populated densely.
Youths in the area are the majority sufferers. As a result I could not trust ladies to have relationship with me so to ease the temptation of the same I decided to drink and drink. The guy looks desperate, shaggy and weak, clear indications that he is really affected.
On asking if he notices any negative effect he replies affirmatively and says “when I drink I start urinating on my clothes and I hardly get home without quarrelling or fighting with my friends and neighbors.”
“The little coins that I get from my informal job go directly to the nearby brewer”. He says. Sometimes I realize that I owe the brewer.
With the knowledge of both the positive and negative sides of it he tries to quit but he couldn’t because he can hardly do anything without drinking. “All my plans are driven by the drink” He adds.These are just few examples of chang'aa users tat we interviewed in Korogocho. 

ALCOHOLISM Alcoholism is a disease. The craving that an alcoholic feels for alcohol can be as strong as the need for food or water. An alcoholic will continue to drink despite serious family, health, or legal problems.
social causes of alcohol(chang’aa) use by the youth.
Lack of gainful employment appears to be the main cause of chang’aa use even in cases where the youth have completed school
Frustration arising from lack of school fees, and boredom resulting from want of gainful employment .
influence by peer pressure
rapid social and economic change the country has gone through.
Homelessness, hostilities or an unhealthy environment drive some youth to the streets where they use drugs as an escape route from the reality they would rather forget .
The relatively easy availability of chang’aa appears to be the main cause of their use and abuse among the youth .
A family or a community in which adults drink, smoke bhang, or chew miraa can influence the youth to use substances, which they may abuse in the long run.
CURE & TREATMENT 4 ALCOHOLISM
Alcoholism cannot be cured at this time. Even if an alcoholic hasn't been drinking for a long time, he or she can still suffer a relapse. To guard against a relapse, an alcoholic must continue to avoid all alcoholic beverages.
Alcoholism can be treated. Alcoholism treatment programs use both counseling and medications to help a person stop drinking. Most alcoholics need help to recover from their disease. With support and treatment, many people are able to stop drinking and rebuild their lives.
PEOPLE MOSTLY AFFECTED BY ALCOHOLISM
Alcohol abuse and alcoholism cut across gender, race, and nationality. In general, though, more men than women are alcohol dependent or have alcohol problems. And alcohol problems are highest among young adults ages 18-29 and lowest among adults ages 65 and older. We also know that people who start drinking at an early age--for example, at age 14 or younger--greatly increase the chance that they will develop alcohol problems at some point in their lives.
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HOW TO CUT DOWN ALCOHOLISM
It depends. If that person has been diagnosed as an alcoholic, the answer is "no." Alcoholics who try to cut down on drinking rarely succeed. Cutting out alcohol--that is, abstaining--is usually the best course for recovery. People who are not alcohol dependent but who have experienced alcohol-related problems may be able to limit the amount they drink. If they can't stay within those limits, they need to stop drinking altogether.
HOW TO HELP AN ALCOHOLIC PERSON
This can be a challenge. An alcoholic can't be forced to get help except under certain circumstances, such as a violent incident that results in court-ordered treatment or medical emergency. But you don't have to wait for someone to "hit rock bottom" to act. Many alcoholism treatment specialists suggest the following steps to help an alcoholic get treatment:
Stop all "cover ups." Family members often make excuses to others or try to protect the alcoholic from the results of his or her drinking. It is important to stop covering for the alcoholic so that he or she experiences the full consequences of drinking.

Time your intervention. The best time to talk to the drinker is shortly after an alcohol-related problem has occurred--like a serious family argument or an accident. Choose a time when he or she is sober, both of you are fairly calm, and you have a chance to talk in private.
Be specific. Tell the family member that you are worried about his or her drinking. Use examples of the ways in which the drinking has caused problems, including the most recent incident.
State the results. Explain to the drinker what you will do if he or she doesn't go for help--not to punish the drinker, but to protect yourself from his or her problems. What you say may range from refusing to go with the person to any social activity where alcohol will be served, to moving out of the house. Do not make any threats you are not prepared to carry out.
Get help. Gather information in advance about treatment options in your community. If the person is willing to get help, call immediately for an appointment with a treatment counselor. Offer to go with the family member on the first visit to a treatment program and/or an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
Call on a friend. If the family member still refuses to get help, ask a friend to talk with him or her using the steps just described. A friend who is a recovering alcoholic may be particularly persuasive, but any person who is caring and nonjudgmental may help. The intervention of more than one person, more than one time, is often necessary to coax an alcoholic to seek help.
Find strength in numbers. With the help of a health care professional, some families join with other relatives and friends to confront an alcoholic as a group. This approach should only be tried under the guidance of a health care professional who is experienced in this kind of group intervention.

Certain people should not drink at all, i.e:
•           Women taking certain over-the-counter or prescription medications
•           People with medical conditions that can be made worse by drinking
•           Recovering alcoholics
•           People younger than age 18.
who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant
•           People who plan to drive or engage in other activities that require alertness and skill (such as using high-speed machinery

Alcohol,miraa and other substances abused is destroying many families in Kenya especially Korogocho & most people especially men are becoming ignorant on their family needs; children can’t go to school & many families are disintegrating ..
Whatever the initial influence or cause, when the youth persistently engage in substance use, they evolve a culture of abuse since they start treating it as part of their lifestyle, and are not conscious of the dangerous situations they are falling into.
But substance use predisposes the youth to disease and poor health, conflict with the law and poor academic performance, which translate into dropping out of educational institutions, into narrow opportunities in life and into an inability to get or keep jobs.
All in all, substance abuse by the youth culminates in an abnormal behaviour that makes them pariahs normally associated with criminal and social depravity. Only a small percentage of the youth get to learn of the dangers of substance use and abuse from their families, while it is a well-known fact that it is easier to prevent than to treat substance abuse-related disorders.
Make a choice ,a good choice, a good good choice. look, read, observe,digest,synthesize,absorb and finally make a choice ,the field is yours ,no forcing no coercion,no bribing it is just you to make a choice as the Chinese saying goes “The beginning is the half of every action" try drugs & you'll be an addict.