Sierra Leone Declares Emergency As Addicts Dig Up Graves To Get High

A national emergency has been declared in the West African country of Sierra Leone, owing to the rampant addiction to kush, a psychoactive drug allegedly made of a blend of addictive substances and human skeletons. The narcotic has such severe euphoric effects and enhanced vigour that people tend to cripple like 'zombies' for hours after consuming the drug. Those struggling with the addiction would dig up human skeletons from graves, forcing President Julius Maada Bio to tighten security around cemeteries. An emergency is set in place to stop the abuse of the morbid substance, which has gripped the nation for several years now.

Speaking to BBC, a man recovering from kush addiction expressed, "I don't like doing this, but I cannot leave it because I enjoy it." The drug also has severe effects on mental health, according to officials at the Sierra Leone Psychiatric Hospital. Between 2020 and 2023, hospitalisations linked to kush addiction surged by almost 4,000% to reach 1,865.

Drug Epidemic Causes National Emergency

While there is no official death toll related to kush addictions, a doctor whose name has not been disclosed told the media that "in recent months" hundreds of young men had died from organ failure caused by the drug in Freetown. In a broadcast on April 4, President Bio deemed the drug a 'death trap' and declared a national emergency.

In Sierra Leone gangs dig up dead bodies to grind up the bones and smoke them as part of a drug called 'kush'. Remember that old song by Randy Travis "Digging up Bones"? #Freyja pic.twitter.com/Y1OD9TX4fC

— Freyja™ (@FreyjaTarte) April 6, 2024

The Desperation of Addiction

The extent of the drug's grip on society is evident in the macabre phenomenon of grave robbing. Addicts, driven by their insatiable cravings, have resorted to unspeakable acts, raiding cemeteries in search of the raw materials for their next high. The sacred resting places of the deceased have been violated, their remains pillaged to fuel the insatiable demand for the "Zombie" drug.

President Julius Maada Bio has sounded the alarm, recognizing the escalating fatalities attributed to the drug's consumption. In response, a dedicated task force has been mobilized, tasked with the urgent mission of eradicating this scourge from society.

Touching upon the "escalating fatalities" among kush abusers in the nation, President Bio said, "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." He also directed officials to set up a National Task Force on Drugs and Substance Abuse.

Challenges and Imperatives

The government will be setting up centres in every district and "adequately staffed by trained professionals to offer care and support to people with drug addiction." According to reports, the nation's capital, Freetown, is the only place to house a functioning drug rehabilitation centre. The 100-bed facility was hurriedly set up in an army training centre earlier this year.

Despite efforts to combat the crisis, challenges persist. Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, currently hosts the country's sole functioning drug rehabilitation center. However, limitations in resources and infrastructure have led experts to characterize it as more of a holding facility than a comprehensive rehabilitation center.

"It is more of a holding centre than a rehab," one psychiatrist told the BBC. Dr Abdul Jalloh, head of the Sierra Leone Psychiatric Hospital, said that the emergency "signifies the prioritisation of resources, attention, and intervention to combat this growing epidemic."