The rapid spread of kush, a highly addictive synthetic drug, has become one of Sierra Leone’s biggest public health challenges. Its devastating impact is not only claiming young lives but also threatening the country’s human capital development goals.

Since 2022, hundreds of youths have died due to kush addiction. The drug, often laced with dangerous opioids and synthetic cannabinoids, is cheap and easy to access, making it especially popular among vulnerable young people. Many users suffer overdoses, mental health breakdowns, or fall into cycles of violence and crime.

Community leaders describe the situation as a “scourge.” Families are losing children, students are abandoning school, and entire communities are being destabilized. Testimonies from victims reveal a harsh reality: many have lost homes, families, and livelihoods, resorting to theft or street life just to sustain their addiction.

The epidemic is stretching Sierra Leone’s fragile healthcare system, draining resources that could otherwise support education, job creation, and national development. According to estimates earlier this year, dozens of young people die from kush every week—often in slums and on the streets.

The crisis is worsened by porous borders and organized crime groups that traffic the drug into the country. Beyond individual health, the rise of kush has fueled crime, deepened poverty, and shaken social stability—undermining the very foundations of President Bio’s vision to build a healthier, better-educated, and more prosperous Sierra Leone.

Experts and community advocates argue that tackling the crisis requires more than arrests and awareness campaigns. They are calling for a broader strategy: expanding rehabilitation centers, investing in mental health care, creating economic opportunities for the youth, and strengthening education.

As one health worker put it, “We must create real pathways for recovery and reintegration. Without that, we will keep losing lives and potential.”

Sierra Leone stands at a crossroads. Without urgent, united action from government, communities, and international partners, the kush epidemic could derail the country’s progress and cost an entire generation its future.