“Drugs have Ravaged the Young Generation in Sierra Leone"

Allieu Badara Exclaims

Commentary

It is but no secret that quite a good number of our youths in Sierra Leone have addicted to taking drugs at any given opportunity. Among the drugs they are taking, the commonest ones are kush,the fastest killer, tramadol, ecstasy, pink lady, “gladi-gladi”. As a nation, it is very heart rending seeing our young people, who are supposed to take up the mantle of leadership in governance when the substantive authorities who are serving get of age; are dying recklessly in the streets of Freetown. The majority of Sierra Leoneans will agree with this Writer that this devastating societal menace has taken over the whole country. See how young people are wasting their lives on drug consumption in provincial headquarter towns. In the capital city, Freetown, young people are homelessly and recklessly dying of drug abuse almost every other day. Some stink with sores on their feet when alive and at the same time harassing peaceful citizens on the streets while going about their normal businesses.

However, let me categorize the effects of some of the highlighted drugs on economic, social, educational, and health hazards in the country.

Economic Effects

The genuine concern that I am raising here is the fact that those affected youths are now serving as national liabilities and societal threats. Have we asked ourselves for once how would the future generation be? Let us assume for once that things get better and foreign investors have decided to invest in Agriculture and the manufacturing industry and that quite a good number of young people are highly needed to work in those factories. The catch is how that situation look like when a large proportion of our active youths have chosen to waste their lives on drug consumption. They consume harmful drugs like food. Sad enough, they do not dare to care for the repercussions. Another big setback in the country is some young people who are supposed to be contributing immensely towards economic development have dropped out of businesses; some have dropped out of Schools due to drug addictions. Some have become thieves and annoying beggars parading the city.

Social Effects

I will bet any Patriotic Sierra Leonean that drug addiction among the youths is affecting any other home in Sierra Leone. If one’s son is not affected, his or her family person is affected; if your brother is not involved, then your cousin must have been affected. Peer group influence and lack of self-control have destroyed the future of the young generation. Some promising youngsters are aimlessly walking with tattered clothes searching everywhere for dirt in the name of “clean Salone.” Their motive for the day is to secure monies for the purchase of drugs. And I am pleading that we should not take our eyes off them. A good number of them are thieves and they will exhibit that at the slightest opportunity seen. It is a shame seeing the youth man in the street irresponsibly nodding after smoking kush, and some are profusely sweating after swallowing tramadol. What is more pathetic is the fact that some of their age mates who have chosen to do better things with their lives are now frowning at the kush victims and disassociating themselves completely from them.

Educational Effects

The stories of pupils and students who were excellently performing at schools and universities have dropped out of the educational system due to drug abuse. By the look of things, the highlighted drugs have some evil omens. In fact, Kush is the worst of them all. The list is very long if at all we start naming and shaming the victims of drug addiction. Could you imagine how some intellectuals have given up their lives to Kush and other harmful drugs? The codes are now ” Sam you dong get di big man; afa you dong bos; super you dae feel high with di ecstasy ehn; papay nar for shock am with pink lady” . It is a disgrace to see our young prospective leaders languishing and wasting their lives. Honestly, this particular Era of technological advancements has great opportunities and edges in education but unfortunately most of our school going population are not ready to tap into those innovations to make their lives meaningful. Instead, they are worshipping drugs and decided to let their academic endeavours go down the drains.

Health Challenges

Have we actually found time to question ourselves of the sudden deaths happening among the youths? Young people within ages 15 to 35 are dying like fowls. Some are dying as destitute because they have chosen the path of homelessness and do not want to adhere to parental control and discipline. If you take a walk along the major streets of Freetown, you will lose wonders. You will see how some youths have rot without dying. Some are living corpses waiting for the final moment in the dump sites, under the bridges and in isolated areas. There is no hygiene among those victims. All they care for is to find ways and means to raise money and buy drugs. When once they are into drugs, they are good without even food, let alone taking showers.

I am feeling so touched as I am putting this commentary together. My honest concerns here are;

Let us as a nation track down all those MISCREANTS AND WICKED SOULS who are importing THOSE harmful drugs* *into our country. Are drugs trading the only way out to acquire wealth? The answer is a big NO. There are other decent and* *blessed trades out there.

Our Young Generational Leaders are dying of drugs.

Who will fill the vacuums when those of us who are serving right now are retired?