According to a psychiatrist from Sierra Leone, the drug “Kush” is fatal and affects practically every area of the user’s body.
To combat teenage substance usage, Sierra Leonean authorities have started the “Kush Must Go” operation. The action is in response to protests that took place earlier this week in the capital, Freetown, against the widespread drug usage and addiction problems.
Concerns have been expressed by mental health professionals and campaigners over Kush, a new, inexpensive narcotic, and its detrimental effects on the youth of the struggling West African country.
The mother of a Kush user, Mabinty Kargbo, told RT that her family and other Sierra Leoneans have been “destroyed” by the hallucinogenic drug.
“Kush is the cause of my distress. Because of Kush, my marital home has been destroyed. My son doesn’t sleep at home, so I don’t get any sleep. Because of this Kush, I’m hurt,” Kargbo lamented.
According to rumours, Kush is a concoction of substances and plants that mimics the cannabinoid (THC) present in marijuana.
Abdul Jalloh, head of the psychiatry division at the Sierra Leone Psychiatric Hospital, emphasised the lethality of the substance in a statement to RT.
“It has an impact on practically every organ and system in your body. Your thoughts, your brain, and your social behaviour may all be impacted. Additionally, it may have an impact on your kidneys, he added, noting that Kush users experience a trance-like state.
