For many families in Mumias West, alcohol and substance abuse are no longer distant social problems discussed in government offices.They are problems being felt inside homes, among young people and across communities.

It was against this backdrop that Blue Cross Kenya took its nationwide alcohol policy sensitisation campaign to Mumias West over the weekend, bringing together National Government Administration Officers (NGAO), religious and community leaders, youth and members of the public.

The meeting provided an opportunity for residents to understand the new Alcohol Policy launched last year by Interior Cabinet Secretary Hon. Kipchumba Murkomen, but also to openly discuss what alcohol abuse is doing to families and the community.

For Elphas Were of Kenya Youth Network and Blue Cross, the conversation cannot simply be about laws and regulations.

It must also be about saving a generation.

Were said alcohol and substance abuse were hurting many families and called for concerted efforts to protect young people from being introduced to alcohol at an early age.

“We need measures to take good care of the youthful generation,” he said, stressing that government officers, communities, parents and other stakeholders must all play their part.

Protecting children from alcohol

One of the strongest issues to emerge from the meeting was the need to keep alcohol away from learning institutions and young people.

Mr. Were called for strict enforcement of the 300-metre rule around learning institutions and supported proposals to raise the legal drinking age from 18 to 21 years.

He also called for tighter controls on the marketing of alcoholic drinks, particularly through online platforms and mainstream media.

According to Were, it makes little sense to speak about protecting young people from alcohol while allowing aggressive marketing of alcoholic products to reach them through the platforms they use every day.

He further urged authorities to ensure that alcohol is not sold during school events.

Families struggling to afford rehabilitation

Behind every person battling addiction, Were observed, there is often a family struggling to find help.

He raised concern over the high cost of rehabilitation, saying some centres charge about Sh60,000, making treatment difficult for ordinary families.

He challenged the County Government of Kakamega to give greater attention to rehabilitation services, pointing to an existing building constructed by a previous administration which, he said, could be put to better use.

“There are so many addicts in our communities,” Were said, stressing the need for affordable rehabilitation facilities that ordinary families can access.

Residents want action

The forum was not a one-way lecture.

Residents were given an opportunity to speak about their experiences and suggest ways of tackling the spread of illicit and counterfeit alcohol.

The discussions reflected a community that understands that enforcement alone cannot solve the problem.

Parents, religious leaders, youth and government officers must work together to identify the warning signs, protect young people and ensure that dangerous alcoholic products do not find their way into homes and communities.

Blue Cross: The work does not end with sensitisation

For Blue Cross Kenya, the Mumias West meeting was part of a wider journey.

Brian Magwaro of Blue Cross took participants through the provisions of the new Alcohol Policy and listened to their views on how it can work at community level.

Magwaro said Blue Cross was not simply interested in holding meetings and leaving.

The organisation, he explained, intends to follow up on the implementation of the policy while continuing to advocate for the protection of communities from counterfeit and harmful alcohol.

“We have been moving across the country and today we are here to sensitise the public so that they fully understand the new Alcohol Policy,” Magwaro said.

The Mumias West engagement therefore became more than a policy sensitisation forum.

It became a conversation about children who need protection, families that need support and communities that want to reclaim their future from alcohol and substance abuse.

And as Blue Cross Kenya continues taking the message across the country, the biggest test will be whether the awareness created in forums such as Mumias West can translate into action—at the bar, in the marketplace, at home, in schools and within the offices responsible for enforcing the law.