The Risk Factors Of Alcohol Abuse Among Narok High School Students

Abstract

ABSTRACT For many years the major concern in this area of research in Kenya was to determine the prevalence and effects of alcohol and other drugs on selected populations. For instance some adolescents who abuse alcohol may face school failure while others may engage themselves in criminal activities. It is for this reason that the negative effects of alcohol on an individual‘s health and overall well-being may not be ignored because sooner or later the abuser may suffer from alcohol dependence by drinking excessively just to satisfy the unusual craving for alcohol or to run away from the effects of withdrawing. In Kenya today, the abuse of alcohol by young people has reached worrying levels in all parts of the country. Underage drinking is widespread and is one of the leading public health problems in Kenya. All the risk factors should be put in perspective in order to find applicable solutions. Risk factors that increase the likelihood of alcohol abuse among adolescents can be categorized in three different domains which are the; environmental, interpersonal and personal domains. These domains do not operate in isolation, they are interrelated and their combination makes the alcohol abuse problem for adolescents a complex one. Although the existing literature suggest several factors involved in alcohol abuse, this current study will focus on the personal, structural and interpersonal factors by school students in relation to alcohol abuse. The primary objective of the study is to investigate factors that lead to alcohol abuse among school students, a second group of respondents, which will include their teachers will be introduced to participate in the study. It is my hope that the responses given by students and teachers will shed light on the role factors such as personal factors, interpersonal factors and environmental factors play in promoting alcohol abuse among school students.