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On Thursday, August 7, 2025, Liberians, primarily women, took to the streets of Monrovia for a mass protest themed “Say No to Drugs.”
The march, which started from two locations before converging on Capitol Hill, was a powerful appeal to the government to take urgent action against the rising tide of drug use, particularly among the nation’s youth.
The protest and the public outcry it represents have brought renewed attention to a crisis that President Joseph Boakai declared a national emergency in April.
The Problem in Numbers
The scale of drug abuse in Liberia is alarming. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) World Drug Report 2024, global drug use is on the rise, with an estimated 316 million individuals having used drugs in the past year. In Liberia, this trend is acutely felt by the youth.
A 2023 United Nations Population Fund study found that one in five Liberian youths is a narcotics user.
The same study identified over 866 active drug dens in Monrovia alone.
Data from 2023 indicates that over 60% of drug-related arrests involve individuals aged 15-30.
The crisis has led to severe health and societal consequences. The Ministry of Health reported in 2023 that more than 35% of mental health cases in primary urban clinics involve youth with a history of substance abuse.
The Liberia Psychiatric Association has corroborated this, stating that drug addiction is now the single most significant cause of psychiatric admissions at the E.S. Grant Mental Hospital in Monrovia.
The education sector is also impacted, with a 2024 report by the Ministry of Education and UNICEF linking drug abuse to over 20% of school dropouts in Montserrado and Grand Bassa counties.
The Historical Context
Liberia, the first African nation to gain independence in 1847, was not constantly grappling with this level of substance use. Its history includes playing a key role as a critical Allied air base and source of natural rubber during World War II.
The nation’s current drug crisis has deep roots in the back-to-back civil conflicts that ravaged the country from 1989 to 2003.
During this period, drugs were widely used among young combatants, and the post-war environment of socioeconomic hardship, fractured families, and peer pressure created a fertile ground for addiction to take hold. This vulnerability has left many youths turning to drug use as a coping mechanism.
What is Kush?
The drug primarily fueling the current crisis in Liberia is Kush, a synthetic substance causing a public health emergency across West Africa. It is essential to know that this drug is different from the cannabis strain with a similar name and from synthetic products in the US.
Tests show that Kush samples mainly contain two types of dangerous synthetic drugs:
- Nitazenes: These are highly potent synthetic opioids, which can be as strong as or stronger than fentanyl. Common nitazenes found in Kush include protonitazene, protonitazepyne, and metonitazene.
- Synthetic Cannabinoids: These are chemically created compounds that mimic the effects of cannabis.
The mix of these substances, often combined with a plant base like marshmallow leaf, results in a highly addictive and dangerous drug that can lead users to a catatonic, zombie-like state. The widespread use of Kush has overwhelmed mortuaries in Monrovia, leading to emergency group cremations and bodies being abandoned in the streets.
The Response and the Challenges
In January 2024, President Boakai declared the drug crisis a national emergency. In his 100-day report, he announced an initial budget of $200,000 for the fight against substance abuse and the establishment of an inter-ministerial committee to lead the effort. The government has also conducted raids on drug dens and launched public awareness campaigns.
However, many critics, including women’s groups and activists, argue that the response has been insufficient. They point to several key challenges:
Policy Lag: The rapid evolution of synthetic drugs like Kush often outpaces existing laws, leaving legal and health systems ill-equipped to respond.
Punitive Laws: The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act of 2023 focuses heavily on criminalisation and punitive measures, which critics say overlook human rights, public health, and harm reduction principles.
Scarcity of Rehabilitation: Liberia has fewer than five fully functional rehabilitation centres, which are severely underfunded and overwhelmed by demand. This scarcity means thousands of youths remain without access to necessary care, perpetuating a cycle of addiction.
The “Say No to Drugs” protest on August 7, 2025, represents a desperate call for help from a community ravaged by a drug crisis that is a direct threat to Liberia’s future.
While the government has declared a national emergency and initiated some measures, the root causes, from the trauma of the civil wars to the lack of rehabilitation resources, remain a significant challenge.
Addressing this crisis will require a comprehensive and well-funded approach that prioritises public health, treatment, and youth empowerment over purely punitive measures.
