By Hassan Osman Kargbo
Sierra Leone has experienced a lot of drug crises since the end of the decade long civil war, but the newest drug in the country called Kush is rampant across the four corners of the country. Kissy Mess Mess, a community that is situated at the east end of the capital Freetown. It is one of the communities where youth have taken drug as a way of life.
This substance (Kush) has been a serious concern to families and the state due to its harmful effect on the youth of the country. Despite efforts of the government and other stakeholders to minimize or bring durable solution to its intake, efforts by both government and stakeholders appear to be proving fruitless, because the menace is seriously going out of hand at the eastern of Freetown.
It’s necessary for authorities concerns to focus at the eastern part of Freetown, especially the Kissy community as the said community has been label as one of the red zones when it comes to Kush intake in Freetown.
Baimba Bangura, a community Imam at one of the mosques at Kissy community intimated Forum News SL the manner at which some vibrate youths have forfeited their useful career by taking into kush smoking.
According to Imam Bangura, Kissy community is filled with talented youth that he said they have decided to ruin their lives for reasons best known to them.
He continued that most partakers of Kush are now involved in stealing, gambling and other unpleasant activities within and around the community.
He cited that this is not the Kissy community he used to know back in the 80’s and 90’s, disclosing that the current situation is very scaring for them parents to raise their children in the community as the possibility of those coming up replicating this indecent and ungodly act stands great.
According to the Islamic leader, parents are not happy seeing their children in such condition addicted manner and as a result, the Imam continued, parents have been inviting him to their homes to offer prays for their children who are drug addict.
‘Residents from this community, Kissy Mess Mess have been inviting me at their homes to offer payers in order for Allah to intervene in their children situation, but kush has been a norm for our children in this community, despite the fact that some have even developed mental illness, yet they keep on taking it on a frequent bases’ he stated.
Mohamed Sesay, a motor bike rider plying the Kissy community and its environs told Forum News SL that most youth are addicted partakers of the deadly drug in the community. He revealed that some have even taken it as their staple food and as such, they can do anything just for them to get money to smoke it.
‘Our community is prone to Kush intake and this is a serious concern for us. They have taken this thing as a food in which they most smoke it in the morning, evening, and at night. So, when they wanted to smoke and they don’t have money, they can do anything just for them to get the Kush at their disposal,’ he said.
He mentioned that even some of their colleagues that are in the motor bike riding are also addicted to Kush. He added some encountered serious accident as a result of taking Kush while riding that eventually stimulated them into sleep while on motion. ‘Some riders are into this Kush business, but it is not good for them whiles urging the authorities concern to step up their game to stop kush from further ravaging the lives of not only youth of Kissy but the country as a whole,’ he noted.
Musa admitted that when they discovered the substance, he was one of the youth that was taking Kush, but he later realised that it is not good for his health.
‘Kush is something that destroys a man. It has caused some much harm in the community. I was a partaker but I later realised that it is not good for my health,’ he said.
I thing this issues also need soft approach because the Police and other law enforcement agencies have done their bit to see that kush is minimize if not bring to an end in the country but rather its getting worst on daily basis in the country.
