At the beginning of this year, it was reported that the drug problem in Sierra Leone in West Africa was serious. A drug called "Kush" took root and sprouted in the country and quickly flowed into several neighboring countries.
There is no need to introduce the situation in West Africa. Sierra Leone The per capita annual income is less than 400 pounds (about 3670 yuan), and the youth unemployment rate is as high as 60%.
Poverty, unemployment, can not see the way out at a glance, but drugs are everywhere, naturally some people choose to self paralyze, but also self destruction.
On the day of the reporter's visit, the market in Freetown (the capital of Sierra Leone) was bustling, and the neighborhood was full of dirt. Young people gathered under the bridge in groups to smoke "Kush".
They were dressed in rags, like walking corpses, with their shoulders drooping, their heads tilted to one side, and they paced aimlessly. Many people do not wear shoes and their legs are swollen due to drug abuse.
(Addicts under the bridge)
Amara Kallon, a 21-year-old dropout, is one of the addicts here. He smokes "Kush" every day
He described it as "infatuated", which may be too light.
It is reported that Kush will trigger hours of "hypnotic experience". When he is excited, Addicts may even repeatedly hit walls with their heads, break into traffic, fall from heights, and die.
(Apparently an unknown drug addict)
What exactly is "Kush"? In fact, the "formula" varies from place to place, but it is generally opiates plus marijuana, and some people who seek stimulation will also add formalin , even Ground human bone 。
It's ironic that in Sierra Leone, human bones are much harder to find than drugs, so someone really digs graves and steals the bones of the dead
In the early days, the media also refuted the rumor that the theory of "human skeleton" was just a fabricated urban legend, which might be the marketing means of drug trafficking groups, but it was obviously believed.
Later, Kush became more and more popular, and grave robberies occurred frequently, and the fabricated ones became true.
The local reporter went to the site to investigate one of the stolen tombs. According to the tomb keeper, the coffin and other objects in the tomb were still there, and those people only took away the bones, with a clear goal.
(Picture of local news station)
(The grave keeper points to the stolen tomb)
Later, some people also put forward two seemingly "scientific" statements. One is that the sulfur in bones can make people happy; Second, the bones of people who died of drug abuse are still toxic, so they can continue to smoke
But neither of them makes much sense: the sulfur content in bones is not high, and burning will also produce toxic sulfur dioxide; Secondly, even for those who die of drug abuse, the drug content in the bones is extremely weak, which is insufficient to trigger physiological effects.
So the most likely is for some psychological and abnormal satisfaction.
These people have literally become ghouls
To say that these young people do not know that "Kush" is not a good thing, that is not necessarily true. Someone said:
"It seems that there is something evil in it. They see their friends and people around them die one by one, but they still accept it."
(A Sierra Leonean is writing "Kush")
Moreover, "kush" is really cheap. Each piece only sells 5 leons (Senegalese currency, 5 leons is only equivalent to 0.0018 yuan), but they are becoming more and more addicted to it. Many people smoke 40 pieces every day. They are not rich, so they can only steal and rob.
"In order to satisfy the drug addiction, I sold my clothes and books. I started to steal things, phones, pots, plates..."
In this way, people die every day because of Kush, and several relatives and friends of Karon die because of it. The number of young people like him is unknown throughout the country.
Human life fell like grass, but no one knows the specific number of deaths.
In 2020, the psychiatric hospital in Freetown counted 47 drug addicts. In 2022, the number soared to 1101. Last year, it doubled to nearly 2000. This is just a hospital in a city.
The hospital provides three to six weeks of isolation treatment and antipsychotic drugs to help people get rid of drug addiction, but this is the only institution in Sierra Leone that provides active treatment for simple reasons:
In this country with a population of 8.4 million, there are only five licensed psychiatrists.
(Hundreds of young people were sent to the only psychiatric hospital, and doctors said they were overwhelmed.)
Whether it is drug control or training more doctors, it takes time. The deeper problems of poverty and unemployment are more urgent. No one can come up with a quick solution.
So just four months after the report at the beginning of the year, the situation has collapsed
Three days ago, Sierra Leone declared a state of emergency.
(Sierra Leone declared a state of emergency)
Last Thursday night, the President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, gave a national broadcast. He said:
"Due to the devastating effects of drugs and drug abuse, especially the compound drug Kush, our country is currently facing a existential threat."
"The death toll of Kush is rising, and law enforcement agencies should disrupt the drug supply chain through investigation, arrest and prosecution. The government should also set up a drug abuse task force, and each region will set up (drug rehabilitation) centers with professionals to provide support for addicts."
(President Biot delivers a speech)
However, at present, how his impassioned speech will be delivered can not be seen - there is only one drug rehabilitation center in Sierra Leone, which was hastily set up at the beginning of this year, with only 100 beds, which is just a drop in the bucket in the situation.
It seems that the facilities in the rehabilitation center are not enough. Some experts describe it semi ironically, "It is more a detention center than a rehabilitation center".
(Experts describe it as a "detention center")
Even if this is not a problem, as mentioned above, WHO counts five psychiatrists in Sierra Leone. How can we achieve the so-called "every center is equipped with professionals"?
At present, it seems that the police are the most reliable. There is a large cemetery in the eastern suburb of Freetown that has no fence, so it is easy to become a theft target. Now the police are watching day and night for fear that someone will dig another grave
(The staff of Freetown Council is checking the grave where a skeleton is lost.)
Anyway, knowing that the country has been riddled with drugs is the first step.
As for how to go in this long way, it may need to be explored slowly - but can they really "take it slowly and quickly" in this situation?
In fact, "Kush" entered Sierra Leone as early as 2018. However, in recent years, its influence has gradually increased, and more and more young people have died, so it has to be treated.
If we want to be honest, these measures should have been put in place six years ago, but they are only now starting Will it be late?
I hope they can mend their wounds
ref:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-68742694
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/kush-synthetic-drug-addiction-epidemic-west-africa/
Luffy: More than 7 million people... were destroyed by drugs
Lin Lin Shuang Chi: When I was a child, I had the delusion of overestimating my power. I thought that if I was lured to take drugs one day, I could rely on perseverance to detoxify. When I grow up, I find that I can't stop using mobile phones, and I still hope to stop using drugs
Lv Meidi, a brainy person: There is no bones left Drug addicts die without bones left Wake up!
Violet Roland lan: It seems that nothing is more terrible than poverty, or the bones of dead people are not afraid
Shanadzt: It's impossible to be safe where drugs are rampant
