West Africa is battling with hard drug epidemic which is sweeping across the region and taking a toll in the lives of many youths.
One of the hard drugs abused in West Africa is Kush, which reports allege that some mix with crashed human bones to get extra high. At the moment are no enough evidence to substantiate this.
Sierra Leone is one among the West African countries battling with Kush addiction among the youth.
Kush first emerged in Sierra Leone half a dozen or so years ago. Manufactured and distributed by criminal gangs, the drug typically costs 5 leones (20p) per joint – though many users will spend around £8 a day, a small fortune for a country with an average per capita income of under £400 a year.
The composition of the drug varies from place to place. Fentanyl and tramadol are said to be ingredients, as is formalin, a disinfectant.
Speaking to the Telegraph, the Sierra Leone Psychiatric Teaching Hospital in Freetown says it has been overwhelmed with addicts in recent years. The number of referrals keeps rising daily, and many are sedated upon arrival at the facility due to their violent tendencies.
“We have already recorded nearly 2,000 cases of kush addicts in 2023 at the hospital. Many are dying in homes and on the streets,” says Dr Jusu Mattia, acting medical superintendent at the centre. In 2020, it identified 47 people as users. In 2022, it was 1,101. Most of the patients are men between 18 and 25.
“The kush drug crisis is everywhere, but only a few are referred and most of those treated end up relapsing,” adds Dr Mattia.
For some users, kush addiction can fuel serious psychiatric issues. There have also been reports of people developing swelling and infections, leading to open wounds on their legs, but there is no clear medical explanation for this.
The drug can also prove fatal. When high, users have been known to bang their heads repeatedly against walls, walk into traffic or fall from high places. Amara has lost several of his friends and relatives while high on kush, including one who fell over and hit his head on a rock – a blow which killed him.
The country has however launched an operation to get rid of the hard drug.
