Heavy alcohol use may accelerate biological ageing and damage the body’s cells. [iStockphoto]
From high-altitude rooftop lounges to the grit of roadside base joints, Nairobi maintains a relentless, rhythmic pulse of alcohol indulgence. It is a place where the sun sets, but the ambition for one more round never fades, a nightly ritual for some and an occasional escape for others, where residents and revellers alike trade the day’s exhaustion for the sharp amber kick of a cold Tusker or the sting of a well-poured gin.
As the government moves to address what Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen recently termed a national crisis of addiction affecting an estimated 4.9 million Kenyans, the conversation is shifting from social behaviour to biological survival. New data reveals that alcohol is not merely a lifestyle choice; it is a potent accelerator of the ageing process. Think of it this way: in Kenya, you must be old enough to drink alcohol legally, and once you are, it can age you faster than normal.
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