Social Profile of Illicit Alcohol Consumers
Keywords:
Illicit alcohol consumption, social profiles, frequency of use, quantity consumedAbstract
This paper examines the association between social profiles and illicit alcohol consumption in Embakasi East, Nairobi, focusing on two key indicators: frequency of visits to illicit alcohol outlets and quantity consumed per session. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected from 119 current and former consumers through structured surveys. This paper shows that males (80%), unmarried individuals (75%), and adults aged 30–39 (46%) were significantly more likely to visit illicit alcohol outlets more than five times per week. Similarly, high-volume consumption; over 4 litres per visit was most prevalent among males (30%), individuals with no formal education (55%), low-income earners earning less than KES 10,000 (50%), and the unmarried (70%). The type of illicit alcohol consumed showed no significant association with either frequency or volume. These findings offer a granular social profile of high-risk consumers and underscore the need for targeted, socially informed interventions beyond conventional regulatory approaches.
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