Sierra Leone - The West African nation of Sierra Leone is facing an unprecedented crisis - addicts digging up graves to obtain a psychoactive drug made from human bones. This chilling practice has forced President Julius Maada Bio to declare a national emergency over the narcotic known as "kush."
Across Freetown, police now guard cemeteries in a grim effort to stop the brazen exhumations. Grave robbers have smashed into thousands of tombs, stealing skeletons to meet the skyrocketing demands for their key ingredient - pulverized human bones.
"Our country is staring down an existential threat from the ravages of substance abuse, especially this devastating kush drug," President Bio stated grimly. "We've seen escalating fatalities among users."
The "zombie" drug first emerged around 2018, its toxic brew inducing a trance-like, hours-long high. As kush's popularity exploded, dealers turned to haunting new extremes to fuel the crisis. Grave robbing rapidly became a lucrative crime.
Bio has established an emergency task force to shatter the kush supply chain through investigations, arrests and prosecutions. Treatment centers staffed by professionals will also open in every district to support addicts.
"This is absolutely the right step," affirmed Dr. Abdul Jalloh, head of the Sierra Leone Psychiatric Hospital. "It's crucial to address this drug scourge ravaging our nation."
The scale of kush's devastation is staggering. One Freetown doctor claims hundreds of young men have died from organ failure linked to the drug in recent months alone. Psychiatric hospital admissions for kush-related illnesses spiked 4,000% from 2020 to 2023.
With grave robbers digging up their way to riches, Sierra Leone now finds itself in a battle to save its youth - and human dignity - from the zombie drug's clutches.
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