Kush addicted young man nr. 1:

1

10:00:07,920 --> 10:00:09,400

Look at my ulcer.

 

2

10:00:09,480 --> 10:00:14,000

Because I keep smoking kush,

it keeps getting bigger and bigger.

 

3

10:00:14,080 --> 10:00:17,960

But if I go a day

without smoking, I feel terrible.

 

4

10:00:18,040 --> 10:00:20,760

If I don't smoke kush

before I go to sleep,

 

5

10:00:20,840 --> 10:00:26,400

I can't do anything when I wake up.

Nothing at all.

 

6

10:00:26,480 --> 10:00:30,280

I'm homeless.

That is why I sleep here.

 

7

10:00:33,240 --> 10:00:36,840

This is where I sleep

and this is my blanket.

 

8

10:00:37,520 --> 10:00:41,120

At night, I put it on the ground.

 

9

10:00:43,520 --> 10:00:45,120

And I sleep like this.

 

10

10:00:45,880 --> 10:00:48,880

But I don't have a second blanket

to put over me.

 

11

10:00:49,560 --> 10:00:51,720

I don't have a second blanket.

 

12

10:00:52,400 --> 10:00:56,760

There is nothing for me to do.

I have no job.

 

13

10:00:56,840 --> 10:01:00,640

That is why I am always here.

 

14

10:01:00,720 --> 10:01:04,840

If I don't collect bottles,

I can't eat. My parents have died.

 

15

10:01:04,920 --> 10:01:07,040

There is nobody to help me.

 

(The title ‘Lost in smoke’ should appear on screen here)

 

Voice over by reporter Geerard Adriaen:

16

10:01:14,360 --> 10:01:17,200

Bomeh, the biggest

dumping ground in Freetown,

 

17

10:01:17,280 --> 10:01:19,080

the capital of Sierra Leone.

 

18

10:01:19,480 --> 10:01:21,280

It is a depressing place,

 

19

10:01:21,360 --> 10:01:24,040

but many people come here

every day anyway,

 

20

10:01:24,120 --> 10:01:25,560

mainly drug addicts.

 

Kush addicted woman:

21

10:01:28,000 --> 10:01:33,880

There is a reason

why we come to Bomeh.

 

22

10:01:33,960 --> 10:01:38,360

It is often the only way

we can feed our children.

 

23

10:01:38,440 --> 10:01:43,240

And we can also

make money here to smoke kush.

 

24

10:01:43,840 --> 10:01:48,920

There is nothing else for us to do.

There are no jobs for us.

 

25

10:01:49,000 --> 10:01:53,200

Here, at least we can gather

some stuff to sell.

 

26

10:01:53,280 --> 10:01:56,360

For example,

I pick this up to sell it.

 

27

10:01:56,440 --> 10:01:59,840

We look for anything that has value.

 

28

10:02:00,440 --> 10:02:05,760

With that money,

we can solve our family's issues.

 

29

10:02:05,840 --> 10:02:09,440

And with what is left, we buy kush.

 

30

10:02:10,080 --> 10:02:12,360

I hope the government will help us.

 

31

10:02:13,000 --> 10:02:18,080

It is necessary.

We really want a change.

 

32

10:02:18,160 --> 10:02:22,000

I have to take care

of five children by myself.

 

33

10:02:22,080 --> 10:02:25,880

Their father abandoned me.

 

34

10:02:25,960 --> 10:02:27,240

I'm really struggling.

 

35

10:02:27,320 --> 10:02:31,040

This morning, I couldn't give

my children anything to eat.

 

36

10:02:31,120 --> 10:02:37,080

That is why I come here

to look for plastic bottles to sell.

 

37

10:02:37,160 --> 10:02:42,400

I'm now thinking about how

I will clean the bottles.

 

38

10:02:42,480 --> 10:02:48,280

That will buy me

two bowls of rice to feed my children.

 

39

10:02:48,360 --> 10:02:53,760

And with the leftover money,

I buy kush to smoke.

 

40

10:02:54,920 --> 10:02:57,080

That way, I forget about my problems.

 

Abdul Kamara:

41

10:02:57,160 --> 10:03:02,080

Good evening, Sierra Leone, and

welcome to Health Education Hour.

 

42

10:03:02,160 --> 10:03:10,320

This programme is broadcast live

by Free Radio 95.7 FM.

 

43

10:03:10,400 --> 10:03:13,680

This week, we will talk about kush.

 

44

10:03:13,760 --> 10:03:16,400

Kush is a drug

 

45

10:03:16,480 --> 10:03:22,000

that has become rampant

among youths in Sierra Leone.

 

46

10:03:22,080 --> 10:03:28,240

It is damaging their social,

mental and overall wellbeing.

 

47

10:03:28,320 --> 10:03:34,600

Because of this drug,

young people lose opportunities.

 

48

10:03:34,680 --> 10:03:38,400

They let it destroy their dreams.

 

49

10:03:38,480 --> 10:03:44,560

This is a very addictive drug

causing lots of damage to our youths.

 

Voice over by reporter Geerard Adriaen:

50

10:03:44,640 --> 10:03:46,680

This is Abdul Kamara, my guide.

 

51

10:03:46,760 --> 10:03:50,680

Next to his weekly radio show,

he runs Health Education Network,

 

52

10:03:50,760 --> 10:03:53,720

an organisation that has been

trying for over a year

 

53

10:03:53,800 --> 10:03:55,960

to do what the government fails to do:

 

54

10:03:56,040 --> 10:04:00,160

save the young generation from

the drug that is ruining the country.

 

Kush addicted young man 2:

55

10:04:14,840 --> 10:04:19,880

If you take one puff,

you cannot take another one,

 

56

10:04:19,960 --> 10:04:22,520

because it makes you so high.

 

57

10:04:22,600 --> 10:04:26,000

The effect is very strong.

 

58

10:04:26,080 --> 10:04:28,840

The drug completely confuses you.

 

59

10:04:28,920 --> 10:04:33,600

You step into another world.

We call it the mad world.

 

60

10:04:33,680 --> 10:04:35,240

You behave like the devil.

 

61

10:04:35,480 --> 10:04:37,800

As if the devil

takes over your spirit.

 

62

10:04:37,880 --> 10:04:42,440

Now we see many boys

with swollen and rotting feet.

 

63

10:04:42,520 --> 10:04:45,120

It was never like that.

 

64

10:04:45,200 --> 10:04:47,760

We used to smoke a lot less.

 

65

10:04:47,840 --> 10:04:51,240

We used to share one joint

among five friends.

 

66

10:04:51,320 --> 10:04:56,080

And it would take five or six hours

before we wanted to smoke again,

 

67

10:04:56,160 --> 10:04:58,520

because the effect was much bigger.

 

68

10:04:58,600 --> 10:05:03,080

Now, there is a different type

of kush: tramadol kush.

 

69

10:05:03,160 --> 10:05:05,680

That is when the troubles started.

 

70

10:05:05,760 --> 10:05:08,360

It has become an addiction.

 

71

10:05:09,000 --> 10:05:13,560

And the addiction is so strong.

We want to stop, but we can't.

 

72

10:05:13,640 --> 10:05:18,720

If someone wants to give us work,

like washing a motorcycle,

 

73

10:05:18,800 --> 10:05:24,400

we can only do it

after we have smoked.

 

74

10:05:26,280 --> 10:05:31,800

Because if we don't smoke,

our joints and bones hurt,

 

75

10:05:31,880 --> 10:05:33,280

and we shiver.

 

76

10:05:33,360 --> 10:05:35,960

That happens when you wait

too long before you smoke.

 

77

10:05:36,040 --> 10:05:41,440

But as soon as you take a puff,

you feel better.

 

78

10:05:41,520 --> 10:05:45,760

You take one puff

and you are wide awake.

 

79

10:05:45,840 --> 10:05:49,640

Your whole body wakes up

and you can work.

 

80

10:05:50,560 --> 10:05:52,280

We cannot save any money,

 

81

10:05:52,360 --> 10:05:56,520

because as soon as we have some,

we use it to buy kush.

 

82

10:05:56,600 --> 10:05:58,600

We've been smoking for years,

 

83

10:05:58,680 --> 10:06:02,280

so we don't get high that quickly

anymore and we want more.

 

84

10:06:02,360 --> 10:06:09,120

After we smoke, we get very tired

and we start to nod off.

 

85

10:06:09,200 --> 10:06:11,800

Until we suddenly fall down.

 

86

10:06:13,120 --> 10:06:14,920

I live on the streets.

 

87

10:06:15,000 --> 10:06:17,360

Usually, I sleep outside,

 

88

10:06:17,440 --> 10:06:25,840

but sometimes I can sleep

in a tuk-tuk or in a veranda.

 

89

10:06:26,640 --> 10:06:29,800

Because of my addiction,

I cannot rent a place.

 

90

10:06:29,880 --> 10:06:32,880

All I think about is smoking kush.

 

91

10:06:35,760 --> 10:06:37,600

I only think about smoking kush.

 

92

10:06:37,680 --> 10:06:41,480

I barely get any sleep

and I cannot save any money.

 

Voice over by reporter Geerard Adriaen:

93

10:06:43,920 --> 10:06:46,760

Kush is a mixture

of cannabis, some chemicals,

 

94

10:06:46,840 --> 10:06:50,040

and according to many people

also crushed human bones.

 

95

10:06:50,120 --> 10:06:52,320

The drug is only found in West Africa

 

96

10:06:52,400 --> 10:06:55,000

and has nothing to do

with the kush cannabis

 

97

10:06:55,080 --> 10:06:58,200

that is also consumed

in other parts of the world.

 

98

10:06:58,280 --> 10:07:01,000

Kush first appeared here in 2016,

 

99

10:07:01,080 --> 10:07:05,440

but the government waited

until April 2024 to take real action.

 

Reporter Geerard Adriaen:

100

10:07:05,640 --> 10:07:09,160

Abdul, the government

has recently announced

 

101

10:07:09,240 --> 10:07:12,400

that kush is

a national health emergency.

 

102

10:07:12,480 --> 10:07:15,480

What are they doing

to tackle the situation?

 

Abdul Kamara:

103

10:07:16,000 --> 10:07:20,640

Yes, a national health crisis.

But what I see

 

104

10:07:20,720 --> 10:07:24,000

is if they catch boys

smoking or carrying kush,

 

105

10:07:24,080 --> 10:07:26,120

they send them directly to prison.

 

Reporter Geerard Adriaen:

106

10:07:26,200 --> 10:07:30,320

Directly to prison, you say.

Is there a judge or a court involved?

 

Abdul Kamara:

107

10:07:30,400 --> 10:07:34,880

There is no court, no judge.

They are sent directly to prison.

 

Reporter Geerard Adriaen:

108

10:07:36,000 --> 10:07:41,280

I've spoken with several people

who are addicted, and with dealers.

 

109

10:07:41,360 --> 10:07:46,360

They all told me that the reason

they are dealing or using kush

 

110

10:07:46,440 --> 10:07:48,640

is because of the country's economy.

 

111

10:07:48,720 --> 10:07:51,880

There is a lack of jobs.

They are stressed and broke.

 

112

10:07:51,960 --> 10:07:54,640

That is why they became addicted.

 

113

10:07:54,720 --> 10:07:57,600

How do you feel

about the government's approach?

 

114

10:07:57,680 --> 10:08:00,840

They punish these people

by putting them in prison,

 

115

10:08:00,920 --> 10:08:03,000

when actually they are victims.

 

Abdul Kamara:

116

10:08:03,080 --> 10:08:06,200

I call it the 'punish approach'.

 

117

10:08:06,280 --> 10:08:09,360

I think the government's

approach is wrong.

 

118

10:08:09,440 --> 10:08:13,320

To just take these boys

and put them in prison

 

119

10:08:13,400 --> 10:08:14,760

is the wrong approach.

 

Voice over by reporter Geerard Adriaen:

120

10:08:14,840 --> 10:08:17,360

Abdul is not fighting kush alone.

 

121

10:08:17,440 --> 10:08:20,760

Many young people who study

healthcare, just like Abdul,

 

122

10:08:20,840 --> 10:08:22,960

have joined his organisation.

 

123

10:08:23,040 --> 10:08:25,280

They regularly gather on campus

 

124

10:08:25,360 --> 10:08:28,000

to discuss their progress

and next steps.

 

Volunteer at Health Education Network:

125

10:08:28,280 --> 10:08:34,680

I have a family member

who has fallen victim to kush.

 

126

10:08:35,640 --> 10:08:38,240

He was a very good boy.

 

127

10:08:39,000 --> 10:08:42,920

He had eight credits

to enter into university.

 

128

10:08:43,000 --> 10:08:45,360

He started at the university.

 

129

10:08:45,440 --> 10:08:50,920

The first year,

everything was going well.

 

130

10:08:51,000 --> 10:08:57,400

But he started having issues

with addiction. Do you know when?

 

131

10:08:57,480 --> 10:09:01,240

From his school days,

from secondary school.

 

132

10:09:01,320 --> 10:09:03,240

Can you imagine?

 

133

10:09:03,320 --> 10:09:06,240

He started smoking cigarettes.

 

134

10:09:06,320 --> 10:09:13,320

From cigarettes he went to marijuana

and from marijuana he went to kush.

 

135

10:09:13,400 --> 10:09:17,760

Many of the addicts living

on the streets were once students.

 

136

10:09:17,840 --> 10:09:21,520

They came from very good homes,

 

137

10:09:21,600 --> 10:09:27,040

but because of kush,

they have no interest in education.

 

138

10:09:27,120 --> 10:09:29,320

They don't care about their future.

 

139

10:09:29,400 --> 10:09:32,920

They don't even care

what tomorrow brings.

 

140

10:09:33,000 --> 10:09:35,640

So I think

that by going to the schools,

 

141

10:09:35,720 --> 10:09:39,720

we help to safeguard

the future of Sierra Leone.

 

Voice over by reporter Geerard Adriaen:

142

10:09:42,080 --> 10:09:45,720

Abdul takes me to Sahona,

a primary and secondary school

 

143

10:09:45,800 --> 10:09:49,760

that has experienced the

consequences of kush several times.

 

144

10:09:49,840 --> 10:09:53,440

Several students dropped out

because of their addiction,

 

145

10:09:53,520 --> 10:09:55,960

others ended up

on the streets, addicted,

 

146

10:09:56,040 --> 10:09:58,680

even after graduation

or further education.

 

Abdul Kamara:

147

10:10:03,400 --> 10:10:05,400

What can kush do to us?

 

148

10:10:07,960 --> 10:10:11,280

It kills, right? Very good.

 

149

10:10:11,360 --> 10:10:15,240

One of the key things

that drags our brothers and sisters

 

150

10:10:15,320 --> 10:10:17,320

into the use of kush

 

151

10:10:17,400 --> 10:10:21,120

is peer pressure,

being influenced by friends.

 

152

10:10:21,200 --> 10:10:25,880

I see that my friend is doing it

so I also want to do it.

 

153

10:10:26,160 --> 10:10:29,240

My friend is doing this,

he is famous in the community

 

154

10:10:29,320 --> 10:10:30,920

I want to be like my friend.

 

155

10:10:31,000 --> 10:10:37,200

This is how we are attracted

to doing bad things.

 

156

10:10:37,280 --> 10:10:42,040

Kush can be very addictive,

especially for young people,

 

157

10:10:42,120 --> 10:10:49,800

because our body easily

adapts to things.

 

158

10:10:49,880 --> 10:10:55,000

For example, if you start smoking

kush at this young age,

 

159

10:10:55,080 --> 10:10:57,120

your bodies can adapt to it,

 

160

10:10:57,200 --> 10:11:02,760

and it will be difficult

to stop using it.

 

161

10:11:02,840 --> 10:11:05,560

One puff of kush.

 

162

10:11:05,640 --> 10:11:09,960

If you inhale once, the feeling

stays with you for three months.

 

163

10:11:10,040 --> 10:11:14,280

You understand?

Just one puff, only one time,

 

164

10:11:14,360 --> 10:11:18,120

and you'll have the feeling

of smoking it for three months.

 

165

10:11:18,200 --> 10:11:22,640

Imagine you smoke it day after day.

 

166

10:11:22,720 --> 10:11:25,680

Will you ever be able to stop?

- No. (This is the reply of the group of children)

 

167

10:11:25,760 --> 10:11:28,280

Will you ever stop?

You cannot stop.

 

168

10:11:28,360 --> 10:11:31,680

You cannot even stay in the classroom

for thirty minutes.

 

169

10:11:31,760 --> 10:11:36,480

You are uncomfortable. That is why

our brothers drop out of school.

 

170

10:11:36,560 --> 10:11:39,240

Because kush is very addictive.

 

Voice over by reporter Geerard Adriaen:

171

10:11:39,320 --> 10:11:43,120

There are no official data,

but it looks like about half

 

172

10:11:43,200 --> 10:11:46,400

of Freetown men

in their twenties are smoking kush.

 

173

10:11:46,480 --> 10:11:50,600

Every week, ten people

die of the drug, mainly young men.

 

174

10:11:51,360 --> 10:11:55,840

As the addiction is so widespread,

prevention is no longer sufficient.

 

175

10:11:55,920 --> 10:12:00,080

So Abdul takes to the streets

to support addicts who want to quit.

 

Abdul Kamara:

176

10:12:00,600 --> 10:12:03,960

Kush has been a cause

of death in our nation.

 

177

10:12:04,040 --> 10:12:08,240

Many of our youths

who smoke kush end up dying.

 

178

10:12:08,320 --> 10:12:13,240

So today, I am here

to have a discussion with you.

 

179

10:12:13,320 --> 10:12:20,600

Hopefully I will be able to show you

how you can stop using this drug

 

180

10:12:20,680 --> 10:12:25,880

and which factors

are holding you back.

 

181

10:12:25,960 --> 10:12:29,080

I am here this morning

for us to fight this battle.

 

182

10:12:29,160 --> 10:12:31,440

I believe you want

to fight too, right?

 

183

10:12:31,520 --> 10:12:36,280

We want to fight this battle, right?

We don't want to smoke this, right?

 

Kush addicted young man 3:

184

10:12:36,360 --> 10:12:41,920

Many people want to help me,

but they can't, because of kush.

 

185

10:12:42,000 --> 10:12:48,040

They see me smoking kush,

so they are not able to help me.

 

186

10:12:48,120 --> 10:12:52,760

But if I stopped smoking kush,

they will help me in the hospital.

 

187

10:12:52,840 --> 10:12:56,040

Then I can go

get treatment for my foot.

 

188

10:12:56,720 --> 10:12:59,160

They will pay the bills.

 

189

10:12:59,240 --> 10:13:04,080

But first, I have to stop using kush.

Otherwise nobody is able to help me.

 

Abdul Kamara:

190

10:13:04,160 --> 10:13:08,400

And you are unable to stop

because you are addicted?

 

Kush addicted young man 3:

191

10:13:08,480 --> 10:13:10,480

Yes, I am addicted

 

192

10:13:10,560 --> 10:13:13,960

and kush is the only thing

that still gives me strength.

 

193

10:13:14,040 --> 10:13:16,120

So I cannot stop using it.

 

194

10:13:16,200 --> 10:13:21,200

But at night, I cannot sleep

because of the pain.

 

195

10:13:21,640 --> 10:13:28,040

Last night, I couldn't sleep either.

I felt the pain all night long.

 

 

Sahr:

196

10:13:28,120 --> 10:13:31,320

Kush has side effects.

 

197

10:13:31,400 --> 10:13:35,760

It gives us a kind of fever.

We call it jonesing.

 

198

10:13:35,840 --> 10:13:41,520

It makes you feel feverish.

Your pulse goes up.

 

199

10:13:41,600 --> 10:13:45,400

You feel a little cold, you feel weak,

your bones get tired.

 

200

10:13:45,480 --> 10:13:50,440

You can't move until you smoke.

You can't do anything.

 

201

10:13:50,520 --> 10:13:54,720

The only energy you have

is to go and buy kush.

 

202

10:13:54,800 --> 10:13:57,160

When you smoke,

you feel like Superman.

 

203

10:13:57,240 --> 10:13:59,400

Until the effect wears off again.

 

Abdul Kamara:

204

10:13:59,480 --> 10:14:03,840

Are you really willing

to stop smoking kush?

 

205

10:14:03,920 --> 10:14:05,240

Are you willing to do it?

 

Sahr:

206

10:14:05,320 --> 10:14:10,040

Yes, because using kush

is like an escape.

 

207

10:14:10,120 --> 10:14:13,600

But kush also has this stigma.

 

208

10:14:13,680 --> 10:14:18,200

When you start smoking kush

and people around you know it,

 

209

10:14:18,280 --> 10:14:21,760

they will see you as a nobody.

 

210

10:14:21,840 --> 10:14:26,800

They will think you are not serious.

You have nothing else to do.

 

211

10:14:26,880 --> 10:14:30,040

All your time is spent using kush,

you waste time.

 

212

10:14:30,120 --> 10:14:33,320

But there is nothing we can do.

 

213

10:14:34,000 --> 10:14:39,880

We want to stop, but if you've smoked

three years, like I have,

 

214

10:14:39,960 --> 10:14:43,360

you get seriously addicted.

It's as if it is in your blood.

 

Voice over by reporter Geerard Adriaen:

215

10:14:43,440 --> 10:14:45,240

Sahr is a sound engineer.

 

216

10:14:45,320 --> 10:14:49,720

He hopes to be able to quit one day

and start making his own music

 

217

10:14:49,800 --> 10:14:50,800

again.

 

218

10:14:51,760 --> 10:14:54,280

He accepts Abdul’s proposal to help

him

 

219

10:14:54,640 --> 10:14:56,720

and he introduces me to his dealer.

 

220

10:14:58,400 --> 10:15:00,000

I meet him at a building site

 

221

10:15:00,080 --> 10:15:03,640

where several dealers

and around 30 addicts get together.

 

Kush addicted young man 4:

222

10:15:03,800 --> 10:15:08,160

This is kush.

One joint costs 20 eurocent.

 

223

10:15:08,240 --> 10:15:12,000

There are two types: a hard one

and a mild one. This one is mild.

 

Reporter Geerard Adriaen:

224

10:15:12,080 --> 10:15:15,600

These are your friends.

Why do you sell kush to them?

 

Kush dealer:

225

10:15:15,680 --> 10:15:19,080

Because of certain circumstances.

 

226

10:15:19,720 --> 10:15:22,720

Last year in June,

I had an accident.

 

227

10:15:22,800 --> 10:15:26,520

I had to pay 1,400 euro

to the hospital.

 

228

10:15:26,600 --> 10:15:31,560

And for my last operation,

another 1,600 euro.

 

229

10:15:31,640 --> 10:15:35,760

With my job, I will never

be able to make that kind of money.

 

230

10:15:35,840 --> 10:15:38,800

I am just a construction worker.

 

231

10:15:38,880 --> 10:15:42,760

Where will I find 1,600 euro

for my medical bills?

 

Reporter Geerard Adriaen:

232

10:15:42,840 --> 10:15:46,840

But kush can kill

the people who use it.

 

233

10:15:46,920 --> 10:15:52,000

How do you feel about selling it,

knowing it is so dangerous?

 

Kush dealer:

234

10:15:53,960 --> 10:15:56,360

I already explained.

 

235

10:15:56,880 --> 10:16:02,480

After my accident, I had

no other way to survive.

 

236

10:16:02,560 --> 10:16:05,880

My mother died of Ebola.

 

237

10:16:05,960 --> 10:16:10,120

My father and brothers also died.

I was the only one to survive.

 

238

10:16:10,200 --> 10:16:14,600

I don't have anybody to help me.

That is why I decided to do this.

 

Reporter Geerard Adriaen:

239

10:16:16,240 --> 10:16:20,680

I've heard rumours about human

bones being used to make kush.

 

Kush dealer:

240

10:16:20,760 --> 10:16:22,120

No, that is a lie.

 

Reporter Geerard Adriaen:

241

10:16:22,200 --> 10:16:24,200

It is not true?

- No. (This is the reply of the dealer)

 

Reporter Geerard Adriaen:

242

10:16:24,960 --> 10:16:28,160

Have you seen kush being made?

Have you made it yourself?

 

243

10:16:28,240 --> 10:16:30,200

How do you know what is in it?

 

Kush dealer:

244

10:16:30,280 --> 10:16:34,680

I don't make it myself because

I don't have the money to do that.

 

245

10:16:34,760 --> 10:16:40,320

I buy it,

but I can see how they mix it.

 

246

10:16:40,400 --> 10:16:44,600

They use three types of chemicals

to make kush.

 

247

10:16:44,680 --> 10:16:48,000

No human bones. That is a lie.

 

Reporter Geerard Adriaen:

248

10:16:48,080 --> 10:16:51,000

So you have seen it being mixed?

 

Kush dealer:

249

10:16:51,080 --> 10:16:53,480

Plenty of times. That is a lie.

 

250

10:16:54,440 --> 10:16:56,040

They are just chemicals.

 

251

10:16:56,120 --> 10:16:59,520

A lot of the chemicals

that they can use to make kush

 

252

10:16:59,600 --> 10:17:03,040

are chemicals that are

also used in hospitals.

 

253

10:17:03,120 --> 10:17:08,920

One of them is a chemical

that is used for operations.

 

254

10:17:09,000 --> 10:17:12,720

They inject it

to anaesthetize patients.

 

255

10:17:12,800 --> 10:17:15,600

That is the reason

you see addicts nod off.

 

Reporter Geerard Adriaen:

256

10:17:16,800 --> 10:17:20,400

Do you know how the people

who make kush get their supplies?

 

257

10:17:20,480 --> 10:17:24,440

Do they get them from abroad?

- Yes, it all comes from abroad. (This is the reply of the dealer)

 

Kush dealer:

258

10:17:24,800 --> 10:17:27,160

They are all medical substances.

 

259

10:17:27,240 --> 10:17:32,960

All the chemicals used

are medical substances.

 

260

10:17:33,040 --> 10:17:36,840

Sierra Leone does not have

factories to make such chemicals.

 

261

10:17:36,920 --> 10:17:39,520

All chemicals come from abroad.

Voice over by reporter Geerard Adriaen:

 

262

10:17:39,600 --> 10:17:43,800

If the dealer is right,

there are no human bones in kush.

 

263

10:17:44,400 --> 10:17:46,920

I wonder

where those rumours come from.

 

264

10:17:47,320 --> 10:17:48,720

I drive to a cemetery

 

265

10:17:48,800 --> 10:17:52,000

where bodies are said

to often disappear at night.

 

Reporter Geerard Adriaen:

266

10:17:52,680 --> 10:17:56,240

Al-Hussein, you are

the chief gravedigger here.

 

267

10:17:56,320 --> 10:18:02,920

I came to speak to you because

I heard a lot of rumours about kush.

 

268

10:18:03,000 --> 10:18:06,760

Human bones are said

to be used to make the drug.

 

269

10:18:06,840 --> 10:18:10,000

Are those rumours true?

- Yes, that is true. (This is the reply of chief gravedigger Al-Hussein)

 

Chief gravedigger Al-Hussein:

270

10:18:10,080 --> 10:18:16,200

When we work in the cemetery

during the day, we don't see the boys.

 

271

10:18:16,280 --> 10:18:20,960

But around five or six,

we leave the cemetery to go home.

 

272

10:18:21,040 --> 10:18:26,120

The next morning, we see

graves that are demolished.

 

273

10:18:26,200 --> 10:18:29,400

People take bodies out of the graves.

 

274

10:18:29,960 --> 10:18:33,960

They use bones to make kush.

 

275

10:18:34,040 --> 10:18:39,320

We have already caught

a few people red-handed.

 

276

10:18:39,400 --> 10:18:43,240

Last time, I caught

three of them red-handed.

 

277

10:18:43,320 --> 10:18:47,240

They are now in prison,

serving a five-year sentence.

 

278

10:18:47,320 --> 10:18:52,240

One of my colleagues recently

shot someone by the entrance gate.

 

279

10:18:52,320 --> 10:18:57,760

He was carrying a pickaxe

and a hammer to demolish graves.

 

Reporter Geerard Adriaen:

280

10:18:57,840 --> 10:19:01,240

They shot him dead?

- Yes, he died, there and then. (This is the reply of chief gravedigger Al-Hussein)

 

Chief gravedigger Al-Hussein:

281

10:19:01,320 --> 10:19:05,120

We caught him with a hammer,

a pickaxe and a shovel.

 

Reporter Geerard Adriaen:

282

10:19:07,600 --> 10:19:10,920

So why do they use

these human bones?

 

283

10:19:11,000 --> 10:19:14,440

Why do they need them for the drug?

What do they add?

 

Chief gravedigger Al-Hussein:

284

10:19:14,520 --> 10:19:17,360

I don't know

what they do with the bones.

 

285

10:19:17,440 --> 10:19:23,480

All I know is that they steal

the bones to make kush with them.

 

Reporter Geerard Adriaen:

286

10:19:23,960 --> 10:19:27,600

What is the government doing?

Does the police protect the place?

 

Chief gravedigger Al-Hussein:

287

10:19:27,680 --> 10:19:29,280

Yes, the police protects.

 

288

10:19:29,360 --> 10:19:33,040

The government is now in charge

of protecting the cemeteries.

 

289

10:19:33,120 --> 10:19:37,200

You will see that any minute now,

gunmen will start to walk around

 

290

10:19:37,280 --> 10:19:40,080

to monitor the bad boys.

 

Reporter Geerard Adriaen:

291

10:19:40,160 --> 10:19:43,520

How many graves have been

destroyed at this graveyard?

 

Chief gravedigger Al-Hussein:

292

10:19:43,600 --> 10:19:48,720

I don't know exactly,

but a lot. Maybe thirty or forty.

 

293

10:19:48,800 --> 10:19:52,200

Especially Christian graves.

- Christian graves? (Question by reporter Geerard Adriaen)

 

Chief gravedigger Al-Hussein:

294

10:19:52,280 --> 10:19:55,600

They don't have time

to break open the Muslim graves.

 

Reporter Geerard Adriaen:

295

10:19:55,680 --> 10:19:58,920

Muslim graves are harder

to open? I understand.

 

Chief gravedigger Al-Hussein:

296

10:19:59,000 --> 10:20:01,880

So they mostly demolish

Christian graves.

 

Voice over by reporter Geerard Adriaen:

297

10:20:03,560 --> 10:20:06,520

The rumours cannot be

scientifically researched

 

298

10:20:06,600 --> 10:20:10,000

because Sierra Leone

does not have toxicology labs.

 

299

10:20:10,840 --> 10:20:14,920

So we don't know if there really are

crushed human bones in the drug.

 

300

10:20:15,000 --> 10:20:17,240

But I have seen with my own eyes

 

301

10:20:17,320 --> 10:20:20,760

that dozens of graves

have been destroyed and emptied.

 

302

10:20:31,600 --> 10:20:35,480

Abdul tries to keep Sahr away

from his addicted friends.

 

303

10:20:35,560 --> 10:20:37,800

He regularly takes him jogging.

 

304

10:20:38,200 --> 10:20:40,760

But keeping him away

from them is not enough.

 

305

10:20:40,840 --> 10:20:44,880

To make real progress, Sahr also

needs hope and good examples.

 

Abdul Kamara:

306

10:20:45,680 --> 10:20:49,800

Today, I want you to meet

two boys that I helped in the past.

 

307

10:20:49,880 --> 10:20:53,240

They were smoking kush, living

on the streets, no parents.

 

308

10:20:53,320 --> 10:20:55,280

I helped them to stop smoking.

 

309

10:20:55,360 --> 10:21:01,680

I want you to meet these two boys

and take some advice from them.

 

310

10:21:01,760 --> 10:21:08,960

You can learn from them how

important it is to stop using kush.

 

Sahr:

311

10:21:10,160 --> 10:21:14,800

That will be nice,

because it is very hard for me.

 

312

10:21:14,880 --> 10:21:17,200

I really want to know how they did it.

 

Abdul Kamara:

313

10:21:17,280 --> 10:21:20,680

All right then.

We will meet them at their place.

 

314

10:21:20,760 --> 10:21:25,040

I found that place for them to live,

because they were homeless.

 

315

10:21:25,120 --> 10:21:32,440

I found that house for them, and also

a place where they will be learning.

 

316

10:21:32,520 --> 10:21:34,760

They are currently learning Arabic.

 

317

10:21:34,840 --> 10:21:39,480

So you will meet them

and have a talk with them, all right?

 

Sahr:

318

10:21:39,560 --> 10:21:40,640

That will be nice.

 

Abdul Kamara:

319

10:21:46,280 --> 10:21:47,880

Hi, guys.

 

320

10:21:47,960 --> 10:21:50,760

How are you?

- Fine. I'm doing well. (Reply from former addicts 1 and 2)

 

Abdul Kamara:

321

10:21:50,840 --> 10:21:53,280

How have you been doing?

- Good. (Reply from former addicts 1 and 2)

 

322

10:21:53,360 --> 10:21:55,560

And how is school?

- Also good. (Reply from former addicts 1 and 2)

 

Abdul Kamara:

323

10:21:55,640 --> 10:21:59,000

Okay, thank God.

I am happy to hear that.

 

324

10:21:59,080 --> 10:22:01,320

As you can see, I brought a friend.

 

325

10:22:01,400 --> 10:22:04,600

I am trying to help him

to stop using this drug.

 

326

10:22:04,680 --> 10:22:06,760

He is really addicted now.

 

327

10:22:06,840 --> 10:22:10,760

Take a seat

and then we can talk more.

 

Former kush addict 1:

328

10:22:10,840 --> 10:22:12,640

Have a seat.

 

329

10:22:13,600 --> 10:22:16,640

Yes, brother. As he just said,

 

330

10:22:16,720 --> 10:22:20,040

it is not easy to give up kush.

 

331

10:22:20,120 --> 10:22:24,200

When your body is addicted to it,

it is very hard to go without it.

 

332

10:22:24,280 --> 10:22:27,840

But we hope

that by talking to you, you succeed.

 

333

10:22:27,920 --> 10:22:32,520

We have also been

victims of smoking kush.

 

334

10:22:32,600 --> 10:22:35,680

We had been smoking kush

for a very long time.

 

335

10:22:35,760 --> 10:22:40,800

My friend and I used to go

to the ghetto together

 

336

10:22:40,880 --> 10:22:43,440

to buy and smoke kush.

 

337

10:22:43,520 --> 10:22:49,160

But one day when we were

smoking kush, Abdul came to help us.

 

338

10:22:49,240 --> 10:22:52,920

He talked to us

to convince us to stop smoking.

 

339

10:22:53,000 --> 10:22:57,760

We said: What is your problem, man?

Smoking kush reduces our stress.

 

340

10:22:57,840 --> 10:23:00,920

Why are you telling us

we need to stop smoking kush?

 

341

10:23:01,000 --> 10:23:04,320

Do you want to help us?

Is there anything you can do for us?

 

342

10:23:04,400 --> 10:23:08,040

He said: My brothers,

there is not much I can do,

 

343

10:23:08,120 --> 10:23:13,320

but you have to stop smoking,

because it is very dangerous.

 

344

10:23:13,400 --> 10:23:16,520

Is there any achievement

that you are proud of

 

345

10:23:16,600 --> 10:23:19,160

since you've been smoking kush?

 

346

10:23:19,240 --> 10:23:22,640

We understood that he

was telling us the truth.

 

347

10:23:22,800 --> 10:23:27,120

When we were smoking kush,

we didn't make any progress.

 

348

10:23:27,200 --> 10:23:29,600

We sold everything to buy kush.

 

349

10:23:29,680 --> 10:23:33,640

Our parents disinherited us

because of our addiction.

 

350

10:23:33,720 --> 10:23:36,480

So Abdul started helping us.

 

351

10:23:36,560 --> 10:23:40,000

Now we say thanks

to the almighty Allah.

 

352

10:23:40,080 --> 10:23:43,400

We want you to do

the same for us now.

 

353

10:23:43,480 --> 10:23:47,760

Stop smoking kush.

Please, brother.

 

354

10:23:48,160 --> 10:23:50,080

Thank you for understanding.

 

355

10:23:50,160 --> 10:23:52,920

From now on, we are one family,

right?

 

Sahr:

356

10:23:53,000 --> 10:23:55,640

First of all: I admire you guys.

 

357

10:23:55,720 --> 10:23:59,520

Personally, I feel it is difficult.

Extremely difficult.

 

358

10:23:59,600 --> 10:24:03,600

I've tried before, I stopped,

but I relapsed.

 

359

10:24:03,680 --> 10:24:07,880

And you have been able to stop,

after everything you went through.

 

360

10:24:07,960 --> 10:24:11,560

Because I am facing

the same thing with my parents now.

 

361

10:24:11,640 --> 10:24:15,640

There is doubt and disbelief

in my community.

 

362

10:24:15,720 --> 10:24:19,360

I carry this stigma

and that is a heavy weight on me.

 

363

10:24:19,440 --> 10:24:24,240

So you have actually stopped...

It seems impossible to me.

 

364

10:24:24,320 --> 10:24:27,520

But it is possible,

because you are the evidence,

 

365

10:24:27,600 --> 10:24:29,160

and I admire you.

 

366

10:24:29,240 --> 10:24:33,520

I'm also working with Abdul now.

He is doing activities with me.

 

367

10:24:33,600 --> 10:24:36,640

He gives me lots of

counselling and encouragement.

 

368

10:24:36,720 --> 10:24:40,400

It is getting better day by day.

 

369

10:24:40,480 --> 10:24:45,200

The way things are now, compared

to a few years ago, I thank God.

 

370

10:24:45,280 --> 10:24:49,720

I really want to get to know you

better and talk with you some more,

 

371

10:24:49,800 --> 10:24:52,760

for counselling,

help and support as brothers.

 

372

10:24:52,840 --> 10:24:56,440

It becomes a little bit easier

if I can share my story.

 

373

10:24:56,520 --> 10:24:59,800

I know you understand me,

because you have been there.

 

Voice over by reporter Geerard Adriaen:

374

10:25:00,520 --> 10:25:04,280

Because kush is so addictive,

building awareness and guidance

 

375

10:25:04,360 --> 10:25:07,160

are rarely enough

to make someone kick the habit.

 

376

10:25:07,240 --> 10:25:09,200

It also requires medical help.

 

377

10:25:09,720 --> 10:25:14,000

But the treatment costs

1.6 million leone, about 70 euro.

 

378

10:25:14,240 --> 10:25:15,680

That is a lot in a country

 

379

10:25:15,760 --> 10:25:19,360

where the minimum salary

is less than 35 euro a month.

 

380

10:25:19,800 --> 10:25:23,200

Therefore hardly anyone

has access to the necessary care.

 

Doctor:

381

10:25:23,400 --> 10:25:24,600

How are you feeling?

 

Sahr:

382

10:25:25,280 --> 10:25:26,480

So-so.

 

Doctor:

383

10:25:28,080 --> 10:25:30,680

Since when have you been ill?

 

Sahr:

384

10:25:31,960 --> 10:25:34,800

Since last week or two weeks ago.

 

385

10:25:34,880 --> 10:25:37,360

Mainly last week.

 

Doctor:

386

10:25:37,440 --> 10:25:41,640

Did you need to vomit?

- A lot, but it has stopped. (Reply by Sahr)

 

Doctor:

387

10:25:46,640 --> 10:25:48,760

I will put you on a drip, okay?

 

388

10:25:48,840 --> 10:25:51,440

Did you eat this morning?

- Yes. (Reply by Sahr)

 

Doctor:

389

10:25:52,400 --> 10:25:54,400

And you were okay?

- Yes. (Reply by Sahr)

 

Doctor:

390

10:25:55,680 --> 10:26:01,600

This treatment will give you strength.

It will flush your system.

 

391

10:26:01,680 --> 10:26:04,080

The treatment takes three days.

 

392

10:26:04,160 --> 10:26:07,040

You need to come back

tomorrow and the day after,

 

393

10:26:07,120 --> 10:26:09,240

so we can fully flush your system.

 

394

10:26:09,320 --> 10:26:13,680

But I hope that afterwards,

you don't go back to smoking kush,

 

395

10:26:13,760 --> 10:26:15,840

because that would make it worse.

 

396

10:26:15,920 --> 10:26:19,160

You really need to

stay away from kush,

 

397

10:26:19,240 --> 10:26:23,880

because if you start using again,

you will become seriously ill.

 

398

10:26:23,960 --> 10:26:27,760

So I want to ask you

to think about it.

 

399

10:26:27,840 --> 10:26:31,880

When we start the treatment,

please do not smoke anymore.

 

Abdul Kamara:

400

10:26:42,160 --> 10:26:44,440

How do you feel after the treatment?

 

Sahr:

401

10:26:44,520 --> 10:26:46,200

I feel much better.

 

402

10:26:46,280 --> 10:26:48,520

When I came in,

I was weak and tired.

 

403

10:26:48,600 --> 10:26:51,320

But I feel better now, much better.

 

Abdul Kamara:

404

10:26:51,400 --> 10:26:53,400

All right, that is good.

 

405

10:26:54,280 --> 10:26:57,360

As you can see, the doctor said

 

406

10:26:57,440 --> 10:27:01,400

you should not be smoking

now that the treatment has started.

 

407

10:27:01,480 --> 10:27:04,680

Because if your system

gets used to the treatment,

 

408

10:27:04,760 --> 10:27:06,880

the treatment won't help anymore.

 

409

10:27:06,960 --> 10:27:10,400

So I advise you to stop

and to change friends.

 

410

10:27:10,480 --> 10:27:14,920

It is better to isolate yourself

until you are strong enough

 

411

10:27:15,000 --> 10:27:19,000

to be able to decide

what you want to do next.

 

Sahr:

412

10:27:29,360 --> 10:27:33,720

At the end of it all, when I finally

get rid of this kush addiction,

 

413

10:27:33,800 --> 10:27:38,240

when it is out of my system,

I really want to focus on my music.

 

414

10:27:38,320 --> 10:27:41,640

I'm called Engineer for a reason.

I'm good at the music I make.

 

415

10:27:41,720 --> 10:27:43,400

I want to set up a good studio.

 

416

10:27:43,480 --> 10:27:46,840

Not just music, also graphic design.

 

417

10:27:46,920 --> 10:27:49,920

I want to work with IT

at a whole new level.

 

418

10:27:50,000 --> 10:27:53,760

Music, graphics,

animations, videography.

 

419

10:27:53,840 --> 10:27:55,600

I hope everything works out.

 

420

10:27:55,680 --> 10:27:58,280

I want to settle

and have a good family.

 

421

10:27:58,560 --> 10:28:02,320

I pray everything works out for me.

I am fighting and doing my best

 

422

10:28:02,400 --> 10:28:06,240

to make sure I have

a better life, a better future.

 

423

10:28:06,320 --> 10:28:07,840

Yes... Hopefully.

 

The following text should appear on-screen over the footage of Sahr in the recording studio and may be removed from the subtitles. (see below for screenshots)

(texts 424 and 425 appear at the same time)

(text 426 appears alone)

(texts 427 and 428 appear at the same time)

424

10:28:19,920 --> 10:28:23,840

Thanks to Abdul's coaching

and the medical care,

 

425

10:28:23,920 --> 10:28:28,040

Sahr has not smoked kush

since we finished filming.

 

426

10:28:30,800 --> 10:28:37,400

He now has a regular job

as a freelance graphic designer.

 

427

10:28:41,720 --> 10:28:45,560

His music about kush can be heard

on the streets of Freetown.

 

428

10:28:45,640 --> 10:28:49,800

Many young people

identify with his lyrics.