Sierra Leone declares national emergency over 'Kush' drug threat

Freetown

Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio has declared a national emergency over the "Kush" drug epidemic that poses an “existential threat” to the West African nation. Last Thursday (Apr 5), President Bio said in a televised address that the country's fight against Kush should be a collective effort, and added that he would be setting up a national task force on drugs and substance abuse, "with a particular focus on combating the rising kush crisis."

Bio added that the task force would carry out awareness campaigns, offer treatment and clamp down on the sale of the drugs, which is cheap and easily accessible, according to health authorities and non-governmental organisations.

Scores of youth addicted to Kush

A report by Bloomberg on April 6 said that scores of young people in Sierra Leone are addicted to Kush, and the government has no reliable data on the exact number of users. It is a form of synthetic cannabinoid often mixed with additives including acetone, the opioid tramadol, and formaldehyde, a toxic chemical commonly used to preserve bodies in mortuaries. 

President Bio said that the scale of the threat posed by the drug is similar to the outbreak of the Ebola epidemic. He further pointed out the drug's spread would threaten Sierra Leone's bid to become a middle-income country by 2039. 

Addicts dig up human bones to get high

Several Kush addicts in Sierra Leone are digging up human bones to get high on the drug. 

The Bloomberg report also said that there has been an uptick in the use of Kush in Liberia and Guinea, both of which share porous land borders with Sierra Leone.

(With inputs from agencies)