‘Zombie drugs’ have young Sierra Leoneans digging graves.that’s why
By Pooja Sood | Published | No Comments
“It’s like there’s something demonic inside,” said one drug addict in Sierra Leone. “They see their friends and people around them dying, but they still accept it.” Nation grapples with drug’s impact This is turning young people into “zombies”.
The West African country has declared a national emergency after addiction to Kush, a drug made from human bones, led thousands of young people to dig up skeletons from graves to use them.
Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio called it an “existential threat” and the BBC quoted a doctor as saying hundreds of young people had died in recent months from organ failure caused by the drug.
Sierra Leone tackles ‘zombie’ drug threat: 10 points
The threat has escalated to the point where the Sierra Leone government has deployed large numbers of police to guard cemeteries to prevent people from digging up skeletons. A task force has also been established for prevention and social service support.
Videos on social media showed a group of mostly young men, nearly incapacitated, sitting on the street with limbs swollen from Kush’s abuse.
The drug can cause people to fall asleep while walking, bang their heads, and walk into moving traffic. Users complain of a pounding sensation in the head and neck and joint pain.
Such is the crisis of young people starting to steal from home to buy drugs. “I sold clothes and books to feed my addiction. I started stealing household items, phones, pots and pans to buy drugs,” one addict told The Daily Telegraph.
According to the BBC, about 63% of hospitals in Sierra Leone are overcrowded with young drug users. However, Kush abuse is nothing new. Hospital admissions related to Kush abuse jumped nearly 4,000% between 2020 and 2023.
The drug is primarily made from ground up human bone, which is then mixed with a chemical called fentanyl, marijuana and disinfectants. The New York Post reports that according to Kush addicts, the drug can provide a “hypnotic high” that allows users to escape reality for hours.
The drug is extremely cheap. A joint costs 5 leone (approximately Rs. 19). The Daily Mail reports that young people are spending up to £8 (Rs 840) a day on the drug.
Experts blame the crisis on the country’s extremely high unemployment rate. According to the Guardian, youth unemployment is as high as 60%, one of the highest rates in West Africa.
Authorities have launched a nationwide crackdown on drug dealers and users called Operation Zero Tolerance.
The threat is now spreading across borders as well. Guinea and Liberia, which border Sierra Leone, also reported increases in Kush consumption. Guinea has reported 10 deaths.
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