The synthetic drug kush, first identified in Sierra Leone in 2022, has rapidly spread across much of West Africa, causing severe health and social problems. Kush variants are reported to be up to 25 times stronger than fentanyl, contributing to widespread addiction and devastating communities. The drug has been linked to serious physical ailments, including teenagers developing sores that eat away at their legs and mothers with rash-covered babies. Law enforcement efforts are underway in countries like The Gambia to locate and apprehend kush dealers. Investigations indicate that key chemical precursors used to manufacture kush are being shipped from the United Kingdom to West Africa. This crisis is part of a broader pattern of drug-related challenges, with reports also highlighting worsening drug crises in UK prisons and a resurgence of deadly counterfeit drug issues in Lebanon.