Synthetic Drug Kush Devastates West Africa with UK-Shipped Ingredients

The synthetic drug kush, first identified in Sierra Leone in 2022, has rapidly spread across West Africa, including Liberia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and the Gambia, evolving into a highly addictive and increasingly dangerous substance. Testing has revealed that kush contains nitazenes, synthetic opioids that are up to 25 times stronger than fentanyl, representing one of the deadliest drugs found in retail markets worldwide. The ingredients used to produce kush have been traced back to shipments from the United Kingdom, with a red shipping container seized at Sierra Leone's Queen Elizabeth II Quay containing contraband ingredients such as acetone and materials marked with UK Amazon branding. Authorities and experts from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime expressed shock at the presence of nitazenes in approximately half of the kush samples tested, highlighting the drug's deadly potency. The devastating impact of kush is visible in affected communities, with young users suffering severe physical symptoms, including sores and immobility, while families and health workers struggle to cope with the crisis. Efforts to combat the drug trade are ongoing, but kush's affordability and widespread availability continue to fuel its destructive reach throughout the region.