Target The Dealers & Importers

By Edwina SiaJanga

Punitive measures taken by both the Sierra Leone Police and the RSLAF in the dismissal of officers seen on video clips circulating on social media, in which those officers were under the influence of the drug, ‘Kush’, has been seen by many concerned citizens that it will not address the menace of drug abuse in the country. What was seen is just a tip of the ice berg, as the prevalence of drug abuse by youths, especially the notorious ‘Kush’, is fast destroying the future of our youths.

According to concerned citizens, the problem is the failure of the authorities to stop the importation of the drug into the country. Whilst the excuse is being given of the porous border crossings, yet along the way from the borders to the capital there are various check points, where, if serious examination of vehicles and passengers are done, the security forces will be able to nab these dealers and smugglers of the drug. When once the drug gets into the city; ‘known dealers’ rush for the drug, which they then peddle to innocent youths who know nothing about the danger that this drug poses to their lives.

According to our investigation, Kush is fetching huge cash for the dealers, with allegation that some dealers have built houses from the sale of the drug. Unlike marijuana, which has a peculiar smell, kush does not have any smell and can be mixed with anything, including cigarettes. A small portion of kush, smaller than a pinch of salt has the potential to send the smoker to cloud 9, and he loses all sense of control. The smoker is transported into a temporal mental haze, and loses all consciousness. Further use of the drug renders the user totally dependent on it (addicted) and will often crave for it.

One young man, who seemed to have become addicted to kush, is said to have jumped off an Okada along Hill Cut Road, whilst the bike was in motion. The young man felt he could fly and simply jumped off, sustaining several injuries. His parent had to tie him up at home and was only able to bring the young man again to sanity after hospital officials flushed his entire system of the drug. Since then, his parents and close friends have been counseling him.

Many people believe that these victims of kush need counseling and not simply arrest and dismissal. Some concerned citizens believe that it is the duty of both the police and the military to organise counseling for their dismissed members (victims of kush). One concerned citizen posited that in such a case in the USA, even though the victim may be dismissed, the military feels that it owes the victim and society the obligation to provide a therapy to transform the victim to a better life and not simply dismiss him.

Victims of drug abuse need help, and they cannot by themselves get over the drug, they need to be counseled and rehabilitated. Currently, the correctional service is overwhelmed with inmates, and their incarceration adds more burden on the government to feed them and care for them, but if they are given the requisite medical attention and later counseled, there is the possibility that they will recover and become better citizens, and could probably serve as advisers to their compatriots taking drugs.

At the moment, there is not a single day that passes under the sun that video clips of stoned youths are not seen on social media. This is sending an alarming message that drug abuse is destroying the lives of our people, and that there is urgent need to stop the drug trade.