The Drug Called Kush Killing Youth in West Africa

Africa – Some young people in Sierra Leone, West Africa are said to use a new type of drug called Kush. This type of synthetically made drug has been around for six years, although at that time the composition in its manufacture was still vague. 

It is known that Kush is the result of substances and is smoked like cigarettes and marijuana.

"Produced and distributed by criminal gangs, the drug is an amalgamation of various chemicals and plants that mimic the natural THC (cannabinoid) found in cannabis," Head of the National Drug Law Enforcement, Abdul Sheku Kargbo said. 

"The concentration of active ingredients can be increased exponentially, increasing potency,"

Medical staff in the capital Freetown say that 90 percent of the male admissions to the central psychiatric ward are due to Kush use.

Police in the Sierra Leone region are currently struggling to combat the new drug that is haunting the region and its young men with its zombie-like effects.

On the other hand, Ibrahim Hassan Koroma, founder of an NGO called Mental Watch Advocacy Network, voiced his concerns.

"Young people are dying. We need a quick and focused strategy to look at how young people are using these drugs. But right now it's quite alarming," Koroma remarked. 

He revealed that when people smoke these drugs, they can turn into strange figures. For example, they can walk in the middle of the street and suddenly fall asleep while standing up.

Kadiatu, a 22-year-old local woman is one of those addicted to the drug.

Sierra Leone's only psychiatric hospital, a renovated facility from the British colonial era, is flooded with young addicts brought in by desperate families for help.

"Sixty percent of the patients coming into the hospital are related to kush," Medical superintendent and resident psychiatrist, Jusu Mattia said.