Kush Addiction Linked to Ataya Bases in Sierra Leone is The Unseen Crisis of 2024!
By Kortor Kamara
Email: Kortorkamara @yahoo.com
A Rising Concern
Ataya bases, once the innocent venues for sipping Chinese Green Tea, now fuel a kush addiction epidemic in Sierra Leone. Since the civil war, these spots have multiplied, now overshadowing traditional drug dens as youth hubs.
Youth unemployment has transformed Ataya bases into hotbeds for vice, with Kush leading the charge. These centers once hummed with social chatter; now, they buzz with illicit transactions.
Ataya may tout some benefits, but the kush contaminating these teahouses poses severe health risks. Sierra Leone must reassess these bases amidst the burgeoning Kush crisis. Journalist Vickie Remoe highlighted the link between joblessness and Ataya bases in 2013. Dr. Nahim warned then of the stimulants in Ataya, correlating them with psychosis cases.
Unmasking the Epidemic: Kush Addiction at Ataya Bases
With over 2,000 Ataya bases and rising psychosis cases, the government must curb Ataya intake. This isn’t just about tea anymore—it’s about safeguarding Sierra Leone’s future. In 2013, Ataya bases served a million customers. Today, they’re hotbeds for Kush addiction. Ataya bases give Kush dealers direct access to customers. Green tea, once innocent, now opens doors to addiction.
Government’s Dual Role
Beyond taxing tea, the government seems to turn a blind eye, especially during elections, lending unintended legitimacy to these bases. Both SLPP and APC have party-affiliated Ataya bases. Politics brings respectability, masking the underlying drug crisis.
A Missed Opportunity for Change
Ataya bases could host community sensitization, but instead, they entrap youth in a cycle of addiction.
No Sacred Cows in the Fight Against Kush
The Speaker of Parliament demands action against Kush’s enablers. Words aren’t enough—we need fundamental change to save our youth. In Sierra Leone, Ataya bases serve a million annually. They have become hotbeds for Kush, a gateway to addiction. Ataya tea, a seemingly innocent drink, now opens the door to Kush dealers. A ready clientele awaits at every base.
Government involvement with Ataya bases extends beyond taxation. Their presence at these bases during campaigns lends unintended legitimacy. Parties court youth votes at Ataya bases, inadvertently endorsing the spots where Kush thrives. The ruling SLPP and opposition APC operate affiliated Ataya bases, weaving politics with the youth’s Kush crisis.
Ataya bases could champion sensitization. Instead, they entrap youths in Kush’s addictive grip.
The Speaker’s call to action must transcend rhetoric. Actual intervention is crucial to dismantling this deadly network. This crisis calls for a unified front against all Kush facilitators, from importers to Ataya base patrons. We must shield the anti-Kush fight from political exploitation. Our youth’s future is at stake.
A Bold Proposal: Ban Ataya Bases
To curb the Kush crisis, we must consider closing Ataya bases, the epicenters of this drug’s proliferation.
