If you are under the age of 21 years you will now be barred from talking alcohol, after the Cabinet adopted the proposal by National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA).
In a dispatch by Statehouse, Thursday evening, the Cabinet approved, directives that restricts where alcohol can be sold and advertised, and enhances protection for persons under 21 and those who abstain.
The directive is a win for NACADA that has been pushing to raise the legal drinking age from 18 years to 21.
It what the government terms as negative effects of alcoholism and substance abuse on Kenya’s social fabric, Cabinet revealed that it has adopted the National Policy on the Prevention of Alcohol, Drugs and Substance Use (2025).
“The policy strengthens the mandate of the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA). It promotes awareness, evidence-based prevention, professional training, and community action, while prioritising support for youth, persons with disabilities, and other at-risk groups,” read the cabinet dispatch.The policy also establishes a comprehensive, multi-sectoral framework to coordinate and strengthen national efforts in combating this escalating public health crisis.
Data from Nacada reveals that more than half of drug users in Kenya are aged between 10 and 19 years, with the most commonly abused substances being nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis.
Nacada according to the 2024 Status of Drug and Substance Use in Kenyan Universities report by Na, 45.6 per cent of university students have used at least one drug or substance in their lifetime.
Alarmingly, 26.6 per cent of students in both public and private universities are actively using substances such as alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, khat, and emerging drugs like methamphetamine and codeine syrup.
