Nation faces crisis as deadly substance combined with human remains triggers widespread outbreak
In Sierra Leone, a psychoactive drug known as kush has become a growing concern, prompting President Julius Maada Bio to declare a national emergency due to its rampant spread.
The drug, a concoction of human bones, synthetic drugs like fentanyl and tramadol, chemicals like formaldehyde, cannabis, herbs, and disinfectants, has been causing organ failure and claiming the lives of hundreds of young men in the West African country.
Kush first surfaced in Sierra Leone about six years ago and has since grown in popularity. It is now a common sight in urban areas, with zombie-like groups of mostly young men observed on street corners, their limbs swollen and eyes red.
The nation's only drug rehab centre, located in Freetown, opened this year with 100 beds. However, the demand for such facilities far outstrips the supply. As a result, vulnerable individuals are turning away from official resources towards independent offerings like controversial 'kush healers'.
President Bio has directed officials to set up a National Task Force on Drugs and Substance Abuse to combat the kush crisis. In a nationwide TV broadcast, he stated that drugs and substance abuse, particularly kush, pose an existential threat to Sierra Leone.
The current efforts to address the kush crisis include raising awareness at international forums such as the 2024 International Day Against Drug Abuse. UNODC representatives emphasized the critical need for prevention strategies. Detox centers and makeshift shelters have been set up to handle the growing number of addicted youth, although these facilities are overwhelmed by demand.
The challenges in addressing the kush crisis are substantial. Kush has spread rapidly through communities, particularly affecting youth in urban ghettos. It has caused a public health emergency characterized by high death rates, social decay, collapsing families, and overloaded health facilities.
The drug crisis is complicated by broader socio-economic issues such as unemployment, isolation, and the lingering effects of past conflict, which have contributed to vulnerability among youth. Mental health needs remain inadequately addressed, with a stigma around expressing emotional distress, exacerbating risks including suicide.
Moreover, the crisis threatens the fragile stability of not only Sierra Leone but also neighboring countries like Liberia and Guinea.
As people struggle to find the ingredients to make kush, they are turning to increasingly dangerous methods of getting high. Between 2020 and 2023, admissions linked to kush at the Psychiatric Hospital in Sierra Leone surged by almost 4,000 percent to reach roughly 1,865 new patients.
The President's plans to wage war on kush mainly consist of expanding police powers to raid suspected dealers and manufacturers. However, this violent crackdown is pushing users further out of their communities and into drug hideouts in mangrove swamps.
Despite the challenges, prevention campaigns and emergency response facilities exist. Efforts to highlight the mental health burden connected to addiction are emerging, as experts point to the overlooked psychiatric disorders among youth linked to substance abuse. It is hoped that with continued international support and a comprehensive approach to the crisis, Sierra Leone can begin to address this pressing issue.
[1] BBC News, "Sierra Leone declares national emergency over kush drug", 2023 [2] The Guardian, "Kush crisis in Sierra Leone: How a deadly drug is tearing apart a nation", 2023 [3] World Health Organization, "Substance Use and Mental Health in West and Central Africa", 2022 [4] UNODC, "International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking", 2024 [5] The Conversation, "The social and economic factors fuelling Sierra Leone's kush crisis", 2023
- The kush drug, a dangerous mixture of chemicals, synthetic drugs, and human remains, has become a significant concern in the realm of health-and-wellness and mental-health in Sierra Leone, prompting a national emergency declaration by President Julius Maada Bio.
- In the realm of politics, President Bio has established a National Task Force on Drugs and Substance Abuse to combat the kush crisis, while also addressing the crisis on a global stage by raising awareness at international forums such as the 2024 International Day Against Drug Abuse.
- Despite the challenges and the seemingly ineffective approaches in addressing the kush crisis, efforts are being made to highlight the mental health burden connected to addiction and to establish prevention campaigns and emergency response facilities, with the hope that international support and a comprehensive approach may help Sierra Leone address this pressing issue in the general-news and crime-and-justice sectors.
