Factors Associated with Patterns of Drug and Substance Abuse among Youths in Bo City, Sierra Leone
This cross-sectional study of 401 youths in Bo City, Sierra Leone, reveals that Kush is the most prevalent abused substance, driven primarily by peer pressure, unemployment, psychosocial challenges, and easy access through informal markets, while highlighting a critical lack of formal drug education and ineffective law enforcement.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
In many parts of the world, young people face a perfect storm of challenges that can push them toward harmful habits. When a community lacks jobs, recreational spaces, or strong family support, and when illegal substances are easy to find, the risk of drug abuse rises sharply. This is not just a matter of individual choice; it is a public health issue shaped by the environment, the economy, and the social circles in which young people live. Researchers study these patterns to understand why certain drugs become popular in specific places and what drives young people to use them. By looking at the real-world conditions in a particular city, they can move beyond guesswork and identify the specific factors that need to be addressed to protect the next generation.
In the bustling city of Bo, the second-largest urban center in Sierra Leone, a team of researchers from Njala University set out to understand exactly what was happening with drug use among young people. They focused on a population aged twelve to thirty-five, a group that makes up a large portion of the city's residents. The team conducted a survey of 401 young people, asking them about their knowledge of drugs, what substances they had tried, why they used them, and where they could easily get them. Their goal was to map the landscape of drug use in a city that has been recovering from years of civil conflict and economic hardship, providing a clear picture of the current crisis.
The most striking discovery was the overwhelming dominance of a substance known as Kush. While other drugs like alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana are common in many places, Kush was the substance reported by nearly three-quarters of the young people surveyed. About 71 percent of the respondents said they had used Kush at some point in their lives, and for nearly two-thirds of them, it was the drug they used most often. This synthetic drug has effectively pushed other substances aside, becoming the primary focus of the abuse epidemic in the city. In contrast, marijuana was used by only about 10 percent of the group, and alcohol, despite being legal and widely available, was the main drug for only a tiny fraction of users.
The reasons young people in Bo turned to these substances were deeply rooted in their daily struggles and social environments. The most common reason given was peer pressure, with over a quarter of respondents saying they used drugs because their friends did. This influence was strongest among the youngest group, those aged twelve to fifteen, where nearly half cited peer pressure as their main motivation. As the young people got older, the reasons shifted. For those in their late twenties and beyond, the primary driver became the desire to escape personal problems and life difficulties. This suggests that while younger teens might start using drugs to fit in, older youth often turn to them as a way to cope with the stress of unemployment, poverty, and the lingering effects of past trauma.
The environment in Bo City makes it incredibly easy to obtain these drugs. The survey revealed that local open markets and street vendors are the main sources, accounting for more than 65 percent of how young people get their substances. Because these markets are open and bustling with daily life, the trade of illegal drugs is woven into the fabric of the community. As a result, nearly 70 percent of the young people surveyed said that getting drugs was either very easy or easy. This high level of accessibility, combined with the low cost of Kush, creates a situation where the barrier to entry is almost non-existent.
Despite the ease of access, the study found that the young people were not entirely unaware of the dangers. More than half of the respondents believed they had a high or very high level of knowledge about drug abuse, and a similar majority agreed that drug abuse is a serious problem for society. However, this knowledge did not come from the places one might expect. Schools and healthcare workers were cited as the main sources of information by only a small fraction of the group. Instead, nearly half of the young people said they learned about drugs from social media. This reliance on unregulated digital platforms means that while they may know drugs are bad, they are also constantly exposed to content that normalizes or promotes their use.
The study also highlighted the critical role of unemployment and a lack of activities. More than half of the young people surveyed were unemployed, and nearly 70 percent said that a lack of recreational activities contributed to drug use. Without jobs or places to go, young people find themselves with unstructured time, which often leads them back to the same peer groups where drug use is common. The researchers noted that family issues also played a significant role, with many respondents feeling that family dysfunction made them more vulnerable to using drugs, even if they did not name it as their primary reason.
The findings paint a clear picture of a crisis driven by a mix of social pressure, economic hardship, and easy availability. The researchers concluded that simply telling young people about the dangers of drugs is not enough, especially when the drugs are so cheap and easy to find. They suggested that solving the problem requires a multi-layered approach. This includes creating more jobs and vocational training for young people, building sports centers and community spaces to keep them occupied, and strengthening law enforcement to disrupt the supply chains in local markets. Most importantly, they emphasized the need to address the mental health needs of a generation that has grown up in a post-conflict society, offering them healthy ways to cope with their struggles instead of turning to substances. The study serves as a vital guide for policymakers, showing that to stop the spread of drug abuse in Bo City, they must tackle the root causes that make it such an attractive option for so many young people.
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