The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) Deputy Director of Legal and Regulatory Services, was at pains explaining why the Authority seeks to boost the authorized consuming age from 18 years to 21 years.
Daniel Konyango, in a media interview on July 30, 2025, outlined a number of the the reason why NACADA desires the consuming age elevated.
According to the Deputy Director of Legal and Regulatory Services, one of many causes the Authority desires the age restrict raised is that, scientifically, the mind matures at round 25 years of age. Therefore, elevating the consuming age to 21 can be applicable.
“Now, the age of 21 is just not a novel proposal. Number one, this age relies on cogent scientific and behavioral research worldwide. Indeed, the WHO resolutions that inform this coverage at a worldwide degree base a lot of their methods on well being points.
It is scientifically acknowledged and confirmed that the human mind absolutely develops at age 25. So, at age 21, we’re coping with younger populations which might be nonetheless fairly weak and nonetheless growing,” stated the NACADA official.
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NACADA Explains Why Age Limit of Alcohol Intake Should be Increased
Beyond scientific proof, Konyango added that, from a authorized perspective, there are comparative positions globally.
“The US, which is usually thought-about the best mannequin of civil liberties, has its minimal consuming age set at 21, regardless of having different majority age thresholds, reminiscent of these for driving and voting, set in a different way. In Africa, we even have numerous nations whose minimal consuming age differs from the common suffrage age,” he stated.
The NACADA official additionally clarified that not one of the proposals, together with the age restrict improve, are presently in power stating that these proposals, which brought about public uproar on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, are actually with legislators—each Houses of Parliament in addition to county assemblies—to find out whether or not they are going to sail by.
Authority Dismisses Claims that Proposals Have Been Enforced
On July 30, 2025, NACADA launched the National Policy for the Prevention, Management, and Control of Alcohol, Drugs, and Substance Abuse (2025) in Kenya, proposing measures to curb substance abuse, significantly among the many youth. The proposals sparked vital public debate.
Key proposals embody elevating the authorized consuming age to 21, banning alcohol gross sales in particular areas reminiscent of supermarkets, residential areas, and close to colleges or locations of worship, and proscribing alcohol promoting by prohibiting celeb endorsements, life-style advertising and marketing, and commercials throughout watershed hours.
Additional measures contain mandating well being warnings on alcohol containers, regulating alcohol outlet licenses, and banning gross sales by merchandising machines or hawkers.
NACADA later issued an announcement dismissing claims that the proposals had been already in impact.
“This is a nationwide coverage, and opposite to stories suggesting that NACADA has banned sure practices reminiscent of alcohol promoting, on-line gross sales, residence deliveries, and celeb endorsements, we want to emphasize that no bans have been launched. These measures are presently coverage suggestions, not legislation. Their inclusion goals to provoke authorized and regulatory critiques, topic to correct procedures,” NACADA stated.
