It is indeed ironic that in a country where the population has almost doubled after a decade, there exists a place in central Kenya (Mukurwe-ini) where women are given monetary incentives to give birth; a place where the sound of children playing and laughing is as rare as rain in the Sahara, big padlocks greet one at the gates of primary schools which have been closed down because there are no little ones to teach.
Roles in the families have reversed as women take on responsibilities as bread winners and residents stare blankly into the future, wondering whether there is a future for them as both the young and the old men channel their energy to their now worst enemy, the beer bottle.
While this frothy stuff has always been part of the social life in our country, the renewed enthusiasm with which it is consumed, especially among the youth in Kenya would cause our forefathers to turn in their graves. Sadly, this has brought about scenarios like the one above and much worse. Regardless of its alias - relieving stress, drowning sorrows, passing time and bonding with age mates… the drinking culture in Kenya cannot be ignored or wished away.
The effects of alcohol consumption on the society are far reaching - affecting families’ older and current generations, destroying individuals and draining resources. Just where are we headed if this boozing trend continues? Is there a threat to the future proper functioning and operations of our society as we know it?
“People often deceive themselves that they will walk out of the trap at will. It’s like a self imposed jail sentence,”. “What starts harmlessly as ‘social drinking’ soon turns into an addictive habit that spirals out of control,”, This trend can be attributed to factors such as the level of poverty, high stress levels occasioned by the performance culture at work, peer pressure among the youth and a feeling of hopelessness among both the young and old.
The current generation of young people is cynical, and thus are not keen on saving for the future. Their disposable income is therefore likely to be spent on feeding their drinking habits. “Their interpretation of their surrounding – political, social or economic- seems to tell them that nothing is going to change for the better anytime soon. They thus have a ‘live it best now mentality,”
This addiction to alcohol paves way for other ills such as drug abuse and sexual immorality. “In order to sustain the high that results from alcohol, some will opt for illegal drugs such as cocaine. When under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it is easier for an individual to engage in casual sex, thus risking sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV,”.
One significant result of this drinking culture is the change in society’s dynamics. In areas where the problem of alcoholism has affected many men, women are forced to become breadwinners, and take over the role of men. “Some men abdicate their roles and even fail to fulfil their conjugal responsibilities in favour of the bottle. The continuity of society is thus at risk. The women are not spared nowadays, and the number of women drinkers is steadily rising as they also turn to the bottle to deal with stress,”
The children suffer silently from trauma as they witness the abusive habits that result from alcohol. Children from such family settings are more likely than not to be alcohol abusers later in their lives, in addition to having an aggressive and violent predisposition. The cycle of alcoholism will more likely continue through generations.
So where are we headed as a society if this trend continues?
“Drinking culture is destroying the great minds of this generation who are looked at as the future of the country. Some eventually become a burden to their families and prolong the cycle of dependency. This eventually has an impact on the economic and social development of the country,”,destinies are cut short, individuals live in selfish pursuits of pleasing themselves and suffer from depression when they realize that the problems and pressures they were escaping still exist after their high is over. They then drink again to escape reality and the cycle continues.
“At this rate, I fear that the end result will be an Economic crisis due to breakdown of families and society’s values if this trend is not checked,”.
While this frothy stuff has always been part of the social life in our country, the renewed enthusiasm with which it is consumed, especially among the youth in Kenya would cause our forefathers to turn in their graves. Sadly, this has brought about scenarios like the one above and much worse. Regardless of its alias - relieving stress, drowning sorrows, passing time and bonding with age mates… the drinking culture in Kenya cannot be ignored or wished away.
The effects of alcohol consumption on the society are far reaching - affecting families’ older and current generations, destroying individuals and draining resources. Just where are we headed if this boozing trend continues? Is there a threat to the future proper functioning and operations of our society as we know it?
“People often deceive themselves that they will walk out of the trap at will. It’s like a self imposed jail sentence,”. “What starts harmlessly as ‘social drinking’ soon turns into an addictive habit that spirals out of control,”, This trend can be attributed to factors such as the level of poverty, high stress levels occasioned by the performance culture at work, peer pressure among the youth and a feeling of hopelessness among both the young and old.
The current generation of young people is cynical, and thus are not keen on saving for the future. Their disposable income is therefore likely to be spent on feeding their drinking habits. “Their interpretation of their surrounding – political, social or economic- seems to tell them that nothing is going to change for the better anytime soon. They thus have a ‘live it best now mentality,”
This addiction to alcohol paves way for other ills such as drug abuse and sexual immorality. “In order to sustain the high that results from alcohol, some will opt for illegal drugs such as cocaine. When under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it is easier for an individual to engage in casual sex, thus risking sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV,”.
One significant result of this drinking culture is the change in society’s dynamics. In areas where the problem of alcoholism has affected many men, women are forced to become breadwinners, and take over the role of men. “Some men abdicate their roles and even fail to fulfil their conjugal responsibilities in favour of the bottle. The continuity of society is thus at risk. The women are not spared nowadays, and the number of women drinkers is steadily rising as they also turn to the bottle to deal with stress,”
The children suffer silently from trauma as they witness the abusive habits that result from alcohol. Children from such family settings are more likely than not to be alcohol abusers later in their lives, in addition to having an aggressive and violent predisposition. The cycle of alcoholism will more likely continue through generations.
So where are we headed as a society if this trend continues?
“Drinking culture is destroying the great minds of this generation who are looked at as the future of the country. Some eventually become a burden to their families and prolong the cycle of dependency. This eventually has an impact on the economic and social development of the country,”,destinies are cut short, individuals live in selfish pursuits of pleasing themselves and suffer from depression when they realize that the problems and pressures they were escaping still exist after their high is over. They then drink again to escape reality and the cycle continues.
“At this rate, I fear that the end result will be an Economic crisis due to breakdown of families and society’s values if this trend is not checked,”.
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