The Drug of the Living Dead

On May 8, 2026

Many young people are turning to kush — known by locals as the drug of the living dead. The “zogos,” or people living with addiction, are treated as outsiders.

Close-up of a person holding a small pipe being lit by a flame with both hands; low-light, high-contrast scene in a dark environment, with focus on hands, fire, and skin textures; documentary-style interior or nighttime shot. — Image: Arte France

The West African nation was devastated by two civil wars between 1989 and 2003. The result: More than 250,000 dead, thousands of child soldiers and unanswered war crimes. Trauma still plays a major role in society. Many young people try to forget by taking kush. Now, an estimated one in every four young Liberians is addicted to the substance.

Kush is a synthetic drug made of a blend of solvents, opioids and artificial cannabinoids, which can be bought for just a few cents. People who use the drug find shelter in the final resting place of the civil war dead — the cemeteries scattered throughout the country’s capital, Monrovia.

Person lying stretched out inside a narrow, low cavity beneath a concrete or corrugated metal cover; the ground is covered with debris, trash, and fabric scraps, with daylight entering through an opening; raw concrete walls, confined conditions, documentary-style shot in natural light — Image: Arte France

This report takes viewers to a country where more than half the population lives below the poverty line, highlighting the hopelessness of a young generation scarred by the effects of war and drugs. DW also introduces a man who believes, despite all the problems, that it’s still possible to save one soul at a time.

Broadcasting Hours:

DW English

MON 11.05.2026 – 18:30 UTC
MON 11.05.2026 – 23:30 UTC
TUE 12.05.2026 – 03:30 UTC
TUE 12.05.2026 – 09:15 UTC
TUE 12.05.2026 – 12:15 UTC
TUE 12.05.2026 – 14:15 UTC
TUE 12.05.2026 – 21:15 UTC
WED 13.05.2026 – 07:15 UTC
WED 13.05.2026 – 10:15 UTC
WED 13.05.2026 – 17:30 UTC

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