Kenya raises alarm on surge in synthetic drugs, shifting trafficking trends

Kenya has sounded an alarm over a dangerous shift from the use of illicit drugs to the adoption of synthetic substances among young people, a trend officials say is taking root among young people and fuelling new public health risks.

Speaking at the 32nd Meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies (HONLEA) in Vienna, Austria, the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) CEO, Dr Anthony Omerikwa, said the trend indicates a dangerous global shift towards potent synthetic substances

"Current trends indicate a global rise in the abuse of illicit drugs. There is a steady shift from traditional substances to synthetic drugs, thereby increasing the number of New Psychoactive Substances with their adverse social and health consequences," Dr Omerikwa told the delegates.

The HONLEA meeting is an annual gathering convened by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), where top drug enforcement officials from across the globe coordinate strategies and share intelligence to combat the world's drug problem.

This year's meeting, which began on Tuesday, has brought together delegations to address pressing regional challenges, including the rise of synthetic opioids and the evolving methods of transnational criminal networks.

The NACADA CEO noted that Kenya's global connectivity makes it an attractive transit route, but evidence now confirms a more alarming domestic trend.

"Some African countries are no longer just transit routes," he said, pointing to the increasing availability of drugs for local use and rising domestic consumption.

To address this challenge, he said, Kenya is employing a multi-pronged strategy that will go beyond intelligence-led operations and multi-agency raids that have led to significant seizures of heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

Meanwhile, Kenya, he said, is adopting the use of data through a National Drug Observatory to monitor emerging trends, a critical tool in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Kenya is pioneering a health-focused approach by addressing drug-related crime through Alternatives to Incarceration.

"Diversions are accorded to persons using drugs, thereby encouraging them to seek rehabilitation and reintegration as opposed to incarceration," he said, noting that this policy aligns with the nation's efforts to ensure no one is left behind in the pursuit of sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Dr Omerikwa also urged delegates to reflect on the need to protect youth from potent new drugs and to end the discrimination against drug users who require treatment, not punishment.

At the same time, he called on the international community to collectively address new threats, including trafficking through fast parcels and the internet, and the "commercialisation" of controlled substances such as Cannabis for non-medical purposes.

The meeting seeks to identify areas where partner states can enhance regional drug law enforcement cooperation, highlight new initiatives and best law enforcement practices, and promote modern rights-based and evidence-based law enforcement approaches, as well as practical procedures to combat illicit drug trafficking and cross-border crime.

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