By Josephine Sesay
In recent years, Sierra Leone has seen a frightening surge in the abuse and distribution of a lethal drug known as Kush, what once lingered in the shadows has now erupted into a full-blown public health crisis one that threatens not just individual lives, but the very soul of our nation, every day, more young people collapse on street corners, lose their minds, or die silently from Kush, and yet, while public focus often lingers on the addicts, we too often overlook the real enablers of this national tragedy: the importers, mixers, dealers, and smugglers some of whom are our own neighbors, relatives, and community elders.
Let’s call it what it is: Kush is destroying the youth of Sierra Leone. But the destruction doesn’t begin with the addict lighting the joint it starts with the one who brings it into the country, which blends it with harmful chemicals, who sells it for profit, these individuals look like us, they speak our languages, they live among us. But through their actions, they are robbing Sierra Leone of its future, one life at a time.
We must ask ourselves: How did we reach a point where a few fast leones are valued more than human lives? How can we mourn youth violence, unemployment, and lost potential while turning a blind eye to those fuelling this deadly trade.
The effects of Kush are far more devastating than addiction alone. Families are being torn apart. Parents are grieving children who are still alive, yet mentally unreachable. Some have buried their sons and daughters far too soon. School attendance is dropping, violent crimes are rising, hospitals are overwhelmed with patients suffering from Kush-related psychosis, and our leaders Many remain disturbingly silent. But this silence is costing us dearly not just in money, but in human capital, in dignity, and in hope.
Yes, poverty is real. But it must never be used as an excuse for evil. There are honest ways to earn a living, there are dignified ways to survive hardship, selling poison to your own community is not one of them, we must remember: every stick of Kush sold is a nail in the coffin of Sierra Leone’s future.
This is a national emergency, and it demands a unified national response. We need tougher enforcement not just targeting users, but especially the traffickers, distributors, and suppliers, we need sustained awareness campaigns in schools, churches, mosques, and marketplaces. We need political will, strong leadership, and clear moral conviction from those in power. But above all, we need community responsibility.
If someone in your neighborhood is selling Kush, report them, if someone you love is addicted, support them not with shame, but with compassion and treatment. The fight against Kush is not just the government’s responsibility. It is everyone’s fight.We cannot claim to love Sierra Leone and simultaneously contribute to its destruction. Let us rise with one voice and say: No more. No more silence. No more excuses. No more deaths. If we truly want a better tomorrow, we must protect our young people today. The fight against Kush is a fight for Sierra Leone’s future and that future begins with us.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Friday,11th July, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
