Evidence Based Drug and Substance Use Prevention

Better Futures for Children advocates and supports the dissemination and implementation of evidence based school and afterschool drug and substance use preventions programs, interventions and practices.

Drug and substance use is pervasive among children and adolescents in Kenya. Early initiation of drug and substance use increases the risk of future substance use disorders and other negative outcomes.  Research suggest that among the risk factors associated with drug and substance use among children and adolescents in Kenya include: being male; being in upper classes; having a family member or friend using drugs or other substances of abuse; and knowledge of a friend/mate using drugs or other substances of abuse.  

Strategies that schools i Kenya use to address this problem include guidance and counselling; suspension or expulsion. Communities use other punitive measures including deploying police to arrest drug and substance users.  However, despite or in spite of these measures, a number of children and adolescents in Kenya continue to use drugs and substances. Limited dissemination and implementation of evidence based drug and substance use prevention programs, interventions and practices might be contributing to the poor outcomes.