Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio declared a national emergency on Thursday in response to calls for his government to crack down on the increased use of kush.
"Our country is currently faced with an existential threat due to the ravaging impact of drugs and substance abuse, particularly the devastating synthetic drug kush. […] The deterioration and alarming mortality rate of young people due to the addictive use of kush is no longer acceptable. As a government, we say: ‘enough is enough’. As a nation, we say: ‘enough is enough’ […] It is my solemn duty as your president […] to declare a national emergency on drug and substance abuse," Bio said in his address to the nation.
He added that the drug abuse is particularly widespread among the "country's very foundation" — young people, "in spite of the government’s effort to stop the proliferation of drugs and substance abuse in Sierra Leone."
Furthermore, the president proposed the establishment of a national task force on substance misuse, which would include representatives from all sectors of society and be overseen by a presidential advisory team. The task force would be responsible for implementing a comprehensive five-step strategy aimed at achieving a drug-free future.
These steps include:
1.
Prevention, which includes awareness campaigns;2.
Care and treatment. Every district will have a center that could offer care and support to drug addicts;3.
Social services support for patients’ recovery, which includes reintegration programs;4.
Law enforcement that will dismantle the drug supply chain;5.
Community engagement.Kush is a highly addictive combination of marijuana, fentanyl, and tramadol, the use of which has resulted in numerous deaths and severe psychiatric harm to users since its emergence in Sierra Leone about four years ago.
The health consequences of substance abuse are quite dreadful, ranging from "deranged kidney function", "leg ulcers" as well as liver problems, according to Sesay. Moreover, the drug makes people "behave irrationally" and "go crazy."
In her interview with Sputnik Africa, she echoed Bio, saying that it's important that the citizens themselves take active part in the problem-solving, adding that it's also crucial to identify those involved in the kush import business.