The ECOWAS Parliament has declared a region-wide offensive against kush, a deadly synthetic drug ravaging West African communities, with Sierra Leone at the epicentre of the crisis.
Kush, a potent psychoactive drug, has triggered spiking addiction rates, mental health crises, and fatalities across West Africa. In Sierra Leone, 32 users reportedly died in a single day from complications linked to the drug. The economic devastation is stark, as addicts spend $10 daily on kush, which is double the average monthly income in some communities.
At the campaign launch in Sierra Leone’s Parliament, ECOWAS Health Committee Chair Orlando Pereira Dias framed the fight in stark terms. “This is a war. We want to see our youth in good mental health.” The strategy includes harmonized drug policies, public awareness drives, and rehabilitation programs. Sierra Leonean MPs Veronica Kadie Sesay and Abdul Kargbo warned of the drug’s socioeconomic collapse and urged immediate action.
The campaign aligns with President Julius Maada Bio’s new role as ECOWAS Chairman. Dias praised Sierra Leone’s commitment and called it a model for regional collaboration.
Next steps will include cross-border crackdowns on drug trafficking networks, grassroots education to deter youth experimentation, and an ECOWAS-wide task force to monitor and combat the crisis.
