Sierra Leone’s Drug Crisis

Tiny country, huge problem

Here in the USA we’re worried about fentanyl; but over in West Africa, in Sierra Leone, the president has declared a national emergency over the use of a drug called “kush”–one of whose ingredients is human bones dug up from cemeteries (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68742694).

The president calls it “an existential crisis,” with thousands of people affected. No death toll has been reported yet, but deaths are believed to be in the thousands. The drug tends to bring on fatal organ failure. The country’s health care facilities have been stretched to the breaking point. And special police have had to be hired to guard the cemeteries.

What’s with our world, anymore? Aren’t we told the smartest people in the world are on the job, the Experts know it all, everything’s gonna turn out all right? Doesn’t look it!

Why do people take these drugs? “Because I enjoy it,” says a patient. Not much of an answer, is it?

Humanism is in more trouble than the humanists know.