Realising that Sierra Leone is facing a devastating public health and social emergency as the synthetic drug known as Kush continues to ravage communities, leaving a trail of addiction, mental illness, and death in its wake, Fritong Post, being a responsible and independent media institution, has initiated a nationwide media advocacy and awareness campaign, starting this week, to combat what we now call the “Kushdemic.”
Over the past three years, the use of Kush has spread rapidly across Sierra Leone, particularly among the youth. Multiple studies have identified the country as the epicenter of the West African Kush crisis, with addiction rates surpassing those of Liberia, Guinea, The Gambia, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire.
Research conducted in 2023 revealed deeply troubling trends. In Kambia District alone, 86.7% of commercial motorcyclists reported substance abuse, primarily Kush and marijuana. The Sierra Leone Psychiatric Teaching Hospital recorded alarming numbers of Kush-related admissions.
In 2024, 32 unidentified youth suspected of dying of Kush were buried in a mass grave in Freetown, while the BBC reported hundreds of additional deaths from organ failure caused by the drug.
Between 2022 and 2023, rehabilitation admissions reportedly increased by over 4000%, a staggering indicator of the crisis’ magnitude.
Most recently the Freetown City Council reported collecting at least 220 corpses of suspected Kush victims between January and October 2025.
Despite the scale of this epidemic, public awareness somewhat remains low, stigma is widespread, and government response has often been too slow and reactive.
Awareness, Advocacy, Accountability
The Fritong Post Kush Awareness Campaign seeks to fill this critical communication and coordination gap. Through strategic media engagement, investigative journalism, and community outreach, the campaign will help drive national attention toward prevention, rehabilitation, and systemic reform.
The initiative’s overall goal is to strengthen public awareness, advocacy, and accountability to help end the spread and impact of Kush across Sierra Leone.
Key Objectives
- Raising nationwide awareness about the dangers of Kush and promoting prevention messages among youth, parents, and communities.
- Documenting and amplifying the voices of victims, families, and survivors through powerful multimedia storytelling.
- Spotlighting rehabilitation centers and highlighting both their successes and challenges to inspire support.
- Producing data-driven reports that highlight systemic failures and advocate for urgent government and donor action.
- Building media collaboration for stronger accountability and unified national reporting on the Kush crisis.
Fritong Post Message
This initiative underscores the moral duty of the media to be part of the broader solution beyond the normal news reporting.
“The media must rise to the occasion, not just to inform, but to save lives. This campaign is about more than stories; it’s about protecting a generation and inspiring national action against a silent killer,” said Lawrence Williams, Publisher and Managing Editor of Fritong Post.
He reaffirmed Fritong Post’s long-standing commitment to public interest journalism:
“We are using our platform to ignite a national conversation, break the stigma surrounding addiction, and drive a coordinated response rooted in compassion, prevention, and reform.”
What to Expect in the Coming Weeks
- Feature reports and documentaries capturing the human stories behind the Kush crisis.
- Investigative articles highlighting gaps in enforcement, treatment, and policy.
- Outreach to communities and schools.
- Public awareness via media platforms.
- Collaborative coverage with media partners committed to ending the Kush epidemic.
A Call for National Solidarity
Fritong Post calls on citizens, civil society organizations, policymakers, the private sector, and international partners to join forces in ending the Kush crisis. Together, we can save lives, restore hope, and rebuild a future free from drug addiction.
This is not just a campaign. It’s a movement of empathy, awareness, and accountability.
Let’s stand together.
Let’s speak up.
Let’s end the Kush crisis.
Official Campaign Hashtags
#EndTheKushdemic #FritongPostForChange #MediaForRecovery #TogetherAgainstKush
