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What is Miraa?
· Miraa is a plant whose fresh leaves and soft twigs are chewed to release a juice containing cathinone and cathine, the active chemicals that alter the mood of the abuser.
· Consumers also refer to miraa using less familiar names such as Khat, Veve, Muguka, Guks, Gomba, Mbachu, Mairungi, Alele, Giza or Halwa.
· Chewing miraa causes serious problems to your body especially in the longer term.
· Miraa is a prohibited substance in some countries and in international sports. You are automatically disqualified from participating in international tournaments such as the Olympic Games and World Cup Football if detected to have used miraa.
Effects on your health
· Miraa has similar but less intense effects than the stimulating effects of cocaine.
· Upon chewing, you experience an unusual feeling of excitement and alertness. You may talk too much, lose concentration on simple tasks or even forget simple facts.
· Chewing miraa causes rapid heart rate and increased blood pressure, symptoms that are sometimes confused with increased sexual libido or stamina.
· When chewed continually, miraa gives you chronic constipation since it causes dehydration.
· Using miraa to stay awake places you in danger of causing harm through accidents. When your body suddenly goes to sleep due to accumulated sleep deprivation, you can cause road traffic or factory accidents thereby inflicting damage to life and property.
Effects on your reproduction
· The claim that chewing miraa increases your sexual libido is a myth. Instead, evidence suggests that miraa inhibits blood flow to the reproductive system.
· Chewing miraa constricts the vessels supplying blood to the reproductive tract thereby causing inhibited urine flow, and in men, the inability to attain and sustain an erection.
· The chemicals in miraa make your body to produce excessive amounts of sperm without you being sexually aroused. The sperms ooze out uncontrollably, a condition known as spermatorrhoea. In extreme cases, men are forced to wear nappies or several underpants.
· In women, the dehydrating effect of miraa dries the lining of the reproductive tract leading to pain during sexual intercourse and blistering. The micro-injuries can cause reproductive tract infections and sexually transmitted diseases.
Chewing miraa during pregnancy decreases blood flow to uterus, disrupting flow of nutrients from your bloodstream to the unborn baby.
• Drug and alcohol abuse makes you lose your self-control or inhibition and the ability to make sound decisions, such that you do not feel shy to engage in embarrassing behavior.
• Intoxication diminishes your perception of risk. In this carefree state of mind, you can engage in reckless sexual activity with a high risk of HIV infection.
• Since Kenya’s HIV prevalence now stands at 7.8%, any risky sexual behaviour as a result of intoxication may predispose you to HIV infection.
Alcohol and drug abuse puts you at risk of HIV infection
• Intoxication gives you a false belief of enhanced sexual arousal and performance. This excitement or ‘high’ and accompanying false courage often leads to risky sexual behavior.
• You are likely to engage in high-risk sexual activity that involves ‘sleeping around’ with multiple sex partners, engaging in unprotected sexual activity and exchanging sex for money or drugs.
• An estimated 10% of global HIV infections also result from injecting drug use with contaminated needles and syringes.
• “Flash” blood exchange, which involves drawing blood from a person who has just injected him/herself with drugs and injecting yourself with the drawn blood is a serious and common behaviour among injecting drug users that leads to HIV infection.
Breaking the infection cycle
• HIV/AIDS is one of the leading causes of ill health and death among persons aged between 15 and 64 years in Kenya.
• Understanding the risks associated with alcohol and drug intoxication will help you adopt preventive strategies and measures.
• Plan your spare time to include meaningful participation in safe activities such as games, drama, reading and any other hobbies.
• Critically appraise your life situation by anticipating the consequences of every action you take or choice you make.
• If you have a problem of alcohol or drugs dependence, seek treatment or help from qualified persons.
The pregnant mother who drinks is directly feeding her unborn baby on alcohol. Every time you drink alcohol, your baby drinks too!
The unborn baby
Alcohol interferes with the supply of oxygen and other nutrients from the mother to the unborn baby. This disrupts the normal development of brain cells as well as that of other body organs.
The Foetal Alcohol Syndrome
The unborn child has little tolerance for alcohol. As a result, a baby born to a mother who abuses alcohol during pregnancy is likely to develop serious mental and physical defects known as Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).
The risks of FAS increase with the amount of alcohol consumed and the number of times that you consume it. Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and other defects caused by maternal alcohol abuse are permanent, resulting into serious handicaps that require a lifetime of special care.
Safe drinking?
There is no ‘safe amount of alcohol’ during pregnancy. Alcohol damages your unborn baby at any stage of development, both early and late pregnancy.
Effects
• Low birth weight, a small head, small brain and small body size.
• Severe mental retardation and learning disabilities.
• Deformed or missing fingers and toes.
• Small eye openings that cannot see far, drooping eyelids and poor eye coordination.
• Short up-turned nose and low-set or poorly formed ears.
• Congenital heart defects such as faulty valves or heart murmurs
• Malformations of the genitalia
• Harelip or opening in roof of mouth and cleft palate
• Poor coordination of the body limbs especially the hands and fingers.
Do not gamble with your unborn baby’s future, abstain from drinking alcohol during pregnancy! If you find it hard to stop, please seek help from a health professional.
Small changes can make a big difference in reducing your chances of having alcohol-related problems. Here are some strategies to try:
Set goals: Decide how many days a month you wish to drink and how many drinks you can have on those days. You can reduce your risk of alcohol dependence and related problems by drinking within your acceptable health limits.
Keep track: Keep track of how much you drink. For example, keep bottle tops to track the number of drinks you’ve taken and to remind you when you reach your limit.
Pacing and spacing: When taking alcohol, sip slowly and pace yourself, preferably one alcoholic drink per hour. Also, drink non-alcoholic drinks such as water, soda and juice alternately with drinks containing alcohol.
Include food: Don’t drink alcohol on an empty stomach. Eat some nourishing food including starch before drinking alcohol so that the alcohol will be absorbed more slowly into your system.
Avoid “trigger” situations: If certain people or places make you drink alcohol even when you don’t want to, try to avoid them. If certain activities, times of day, or feelings trigger the urge to drink, then find alternative activities to do.
Handle urges: When the urge to drink occurs, remind yourself of your reasons for wishing to avoid alcohol. Always involve yourself with healthy, distracting activities. Your may also talk it through with someone you trust.
Know your “NO”: At times, someone may give you alcohol to drink when you do not want. Politely but firmly tell the person “NO”. The faster and more convincing way you can say no to these offers, the less likely you are to give in.
Seek help: If you want to quit drinking alcohol altogether, ask for support from people willing to help such as boyfriend/girlfriend, wife/husband, parent/guardian, or non-drinking friends. You may also consider joining your local branch of Alcoholics Anonymous or any other support group so as to acquire a network of friends who have found ways to live without alcohol. If you’re dependent on alcohol and decide to stop drinking completely, don’t go it alone, consult a doctor to plan a safe recovery.
Introduction
Recent scientific evidence has singled out alcohol and drug abuse as one of the major drivers of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Kenya and the world over. This is due to the fact that alcohol and drug abuse makes the individual lose self-control and the ability to make sound life decisions, which may drive him/her into risky sexual and other behaviour that promote HIV infection. As such, people who abuse alcohol and other drugs are more likely than the general population to contract HIV. Similarly, people living with HIV are likely to abuse alcohol and other drugs due to the denial, stigma and stressful conditions they find themselves in.
Alcohol and drug abuse in Kenya
Generally drug abuse is the non-medical use of drugs (alcohol, cigarettes and other chemical substance) that destroy health and reproductive life of an individual. According to World Drugs Report 2008, heroin is consumed by 0.3-0.5% of the Kenyan population, cannabis by 4%, miraa by 11% and cocaine by 0.1-0.5% of the population. A United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) study in April 2007 mapped over 12,000 heroin users and 103 drug dens in Nairobi and Coast Province. More worrisome statistics came from a NACADA Authority survey of 2007 that showed about 40% of Kenyans aged between 15 and 65 years have drank one type of alcohol or another, and that at least 13% of people from all provinces in Kenya except North Eastern are current consumers of alcohol. Worst hit are the youth, the 2007 study found that alcohol is abused by 77% of youths out of school and 28% of youths in school. It also established alcohol, tobacco and bhang as being the most easily known substances by over 50% of 15-65 year-olds. This drug culture and lifestyle fuels the HIV infection rates.
So, how does alcohol and drug abuse drive the HIV epidemic? Two major ways – through risky sexual behaviour after intoxication and sharing of contaminated drug injecting equipment.
Alcohol and HIV infection
Heavy alcohol use is associated with high-risk sexual behaviour - multiple sex partners, unprotected intercourse, sex with high-risk partners, and exchange of sex for money or drugs. Studies consistently demonstrate that people who believe that alcohol enhances sexual arousal and performance are more likely to practice risky sex when drunk. Among the youth, alcohol abuse is sometimes deliberately meant to provide an excuse for socially unacceptable behavior or to reduce conscious awareness of risk. Some youths in Kenya jam bars drinking themselves crazy to get courage to “tune” or make sexual advances they ordinarily would not if they were sober. Heavy drinking and HIV/AIDS has also been blamed for increased medical and psychiatric complications, delays in seeking treatment and reduced HIV medication compliance. Recent research has found that HIV patients on antiviral therapy and are currently drinking have greater HIV progression than those who do not drink since alcohol abuse compromises the immunity function. As such, preventing alcohol abuse among the youth is particularly important since HIV/AIDS is a leading cause of death among 15 to 24 year olds in Kenya.
Injecting drug use and HIV infection
The link between injecting drug use and HIV infection is clearly established. Injecting drug use refers to intravenous self-administration of drugs, especially heroin. Injecting drug users (IDUs) are at greater risk of HIV infection since they occasionally share injecting equipment at the spar of the moment owing to strong craving and also due to lack of new clean ones that cost money.
In December 2008, NACADA Authority learnt firsthand from IDUs in Mombasa of the “blood flashing” phenomenon. This involves retrieving blood from an IDU who has just injected heroin and injecting the blood in the vein of a second IDU. Apart from directly transmitting HIV, flashing exposes the user to hepatitis infection and death due to instant agglutination from incompatible blood. Blood flashing and sharing of needles make injecting drug use “the most efficient way of transmitting HIV.” In fact, a UNODC study in 2004 found high prevalence of HIV among IDUs in Nairobi and Mombasa - between 68% and 88%.
Interventions to reduce impact of drug abuse and HIV infection
Outreach activities involving education and care provision for alcohol and drug users help in mitigating the impact of drug abuse and HIV. NACADA Authority in its preventive education and public awareness campaigns targets to enlighten the public about the link between drug abuse and HIV/AIDS. Some of the IEC materials produced by the Authority specifically address this link with a view to empowering Kenyans to make informed decisions in regard to alcohol and drug abuse as well as their HIV/AIDS risk. This is supported by the life skills campaign conducted through youth and faith-based initiatives for behaviour and attitude change.
Another intervention is improving access to preventive education and commodities such as condoms, provision of VCT services, and availing anti-retroviral therapy. These services target most-at-risk populations such as alcohol and drug dependent persons. The UNODC is already running a project that refers IDUs for addiction treatment and HIV care. Statistics from their regional office in Nairobi show that by September 2008, over 24,000 heroin users had benefited from both drug treatment and HIV care services.
Conclusion
It is imperative that the Kenyan society appreciates the gravity of alcohol and drug abuse and the impact it has on all spheres of life. This way, efforts aimed at implementing interventions against alcohol and drug abuse as well as HIV/AIDS may receive community and national support. On the other hand, healthcare providers are encouraged to constantly screen their HIV/AIDS/STIs patients for alcohol and drug abuse and that patients being treated for chemical dependence are screened for HIV/AIDS.
Did you know that Ngale is one of the street names that is currently being used by students for escaping notice? What other names or phrases have you heard out there? Here are some you may or may not have heard of before
Alcohol
Keroroo, maji, tot, juwo, cham, slosh, pint, kong’oh, olure, sichuma, juice, chwara, CX3, kuona mbee, puya, omuriro, buzz, barley, steam, nga’ngo, mulingilo, mukorogo, muchuchura, kaunga, gehtee, achwaka, dawa, khatiti
Tobacco- Cigarette (nicotine)
fegi, ngale, mozo, mufwaka, ngarasi, cigar, mbaki, and kiraiku, moshi.
Method used: Smoked or sniffed (tobacco)
Miraa (Khat)
veve, gomba, mbachu, njiri, khat, kat, mairungi, qat, alwa, gaah, mogoka, giza, alele, andas.
Bhang (Marijuana)
Boza, wadada, shada, ndom, weed, ganja, dawa, dagga, kikola, ngwai, pot, grass, bhang, joint, Columbian.
Kenya has more than 70 street names for bhang
Prescription drugs
• Lego
• Tap-tap
• Speed
• Black beauties
• Matunguru
• Maharagwe
• Red devils
• Mchele – pishori, mwea
Inhalants
Mugui, Doso, Bien, Mangata, sniff, gum, glue
Heroine
Kichuri, popy, poni, mizigo, stuff, maponaji, kiketi, brown sugar, junk, horse
Cocaine
Bazooka, Blanche, crack, coke, snow, flake, nose candy blow, Big G, whites or snowbirds.
Stimulants
• Amp
• Dexes
• Pepe ills
• Wake ups
• Speed
• Black beauties
• Crack meth
• Ice
• Matunguru
• Maharagwe
Ecstasy
X
• 3,4 methyelenedioxy methamphetamine (MDMA)
• Adam
• MDMA
• Eve
• MDE
Kuber
Street Names:
Kuber, dawa, wawa
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