Current Volume 10
A Broken Fence Invites the Goat”: Kush Drug Use Among Youth in Freetown, Sierra Leone – A Public Health and Socioeconomic Analysis
Abstract
The metaphor "A broken fence invites the goat" could be used to critically examine the rise in popularity of "Kush" among young people in Freetown. This metaphor illustrates how weak social structures foster vulnerability and negative behaviors. The "broken fence" in this context refers to systemic flaws including ongoing unemployment, poverty, lax enforcement of regulations, a lack of adequate mental health care, and insufficient possibilities for young people to thrive. The safety precautions that would typically shield young individuals from drug consumption are diminished by these institutional deficiencies. As a result, the "goat" represents the expansion of Kush usage in places where social safety, institutional control, and economic possibilities are compromised. The study's conclusions significantly support this metaphor from a health and socioeconomic standpoint. The correlation between Kush usage and urban disparities, peer pressure, psychosocial strain, and unemployment show how insufficient structural protections can lead to the intersection of several levels of risk. Coupled with societal repercussions like crime, dropping out of school, and familial discord, the ensuing health outcomes such as psychosis, pulmonary conditions, and intellectual impairment showcase the wider effects of systemic malfunction. Kush use therefore serves as a sign of a "broken fence" in Freetown's social security and municipal governance structures rather than just a personal behavioral problem. Enhancing those protective mechanisms via coordinated public health treatments, socioeconomic improvements, and local-level support networks that lessen young susceptibility and restore resiliency is necessary to address this issue.
Keywords
Kush, Youth Drug Use, Freetown, Substance Abuse, Public Health, Urban Poverty, Sierra Leone
Citations
IRE Journals:
Simeon Jusu "A Broken Fence Invites the Goat”: Kush Drug Use Among Youth in Freetown, Sierra Leone – A Public Health and Socioeconomic Analysis" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 10 Issue 1 2026 Page 140-147 https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I1-1719422
IEEE:
Simeon Jusu
"A Broken Fence Invites the Goat”: Kush Drug Use Among Youth in Freetown, Sierra Leone – A Public Health and Socioeconomic Analysis" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 10(1) https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I1-1719422
About IRE Journals
IRE Journals is an open access online journals established with an aim to publish high quality of research work in various diciplines. We have more than 6 years in publications. Over 2500+ papers already published.
Important Links
For Authors
Volume 9:
Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3, Issue 4, Issue 5, Issue 6, Issue 7, Issue 8, Issue 9, Issue 10, Issue 11, Issue 12Volume 8:
Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3, Issue 4, Issue 5, Issue 6, Issue 7, Issue 8, Issue 9, Issue 10, Issue 11, Issue 12Volume 7:
Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3, Issue 4, Issue 5, Issue 6, Issue 7, Issue 8, Issue 9, Issue 10, Issue 11, Issue 12Volume 6:
Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3, Issue 4, Issue 5, Issue 6, Issue 7, Issue 8, Issue 9, Issue 10, Issue 11, Issue 12Volume 5:
Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3, Issue 4, Issue 5, Issue 6, Issue 7, Issue 8, Issue 9, Issue 10, Issue 11, Issue 12Volume 4:
Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3, Issue 4, Issue 5, Issue 6, Issue 7, Issue 8, Issue 9, Issue 10, Issue 11, Issue 12Volume 3:
Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3, Issue 4, Issue 5, Issue 6, Issue 7, Issue 8, Issue 9, Issue 10, Issue 11, Issue 12