“Tramor”

The fight against tramadol abuse is on, good call. The abuse is really getting out of hand. School kids as low as Junior High school are also abusing tramadol, popularly known as “tramor”. I was shocked to realize that youths in certain parts of the country are noted to be preparing drinks with the drug – tramadol.

Is tramadol the only drug [in this instance, prescription drug] being abused/misapplied by Ghanaians? Trust me, they are abusing many more drugs and the rate of abuse is simply alarming.

In our fight against the abuse of tramadol, I would humbly employ the Food and Drugs Authority not to focus on enforcing regulations alone, but should also give equal attention to educating the general public on the negative effects of tramadol abuse. Support systems should also be put in place to help those who are already addicted to tramadol in our communities to enable them recover from the addiction.

Have you also observed that snuff, prepared from all manner of substances [including super glue] is highly abused by majority of Ghanaians in our cities, towns and remote parts of our country?

While we wage the war on tramadol abuse, it is also about time we discussed the abuse of all manner of drugs as well as abuse of alcohol products purported to be serving medicinal purposes. We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that we have all manner of bitters being produced each and everyday, flooding our markets and drinking spots, misleading the unsuspecting consumer into believing these bitters treat all kinds of illnesses.

Popular among ailments these bitters are noted to be providing cure for is sexual weakness! And yes, recently, I heard there is a new alcohol-base bitters [name withheld] that is purported to be curing menstrual pains! Interestingly, majority of our local herbal medicines being manufactured these days are directed at curing sexual weakness or erectile dysfunction. Media adverts being run to promote the patronage of these products also come with a lot of profane contents.

So I have been asking: are Ghanaian men actually experiencing erectile dysfunction or are they that sexually weak as being suggested by manufacturers of these sex enhancing products? If the answer is in the affirmative, what may be the underlying cause(s) of this problem among Ghanaian me? Could it be a psychological problem? Or the foods they eat? These are legitimate questions, worth conducting scientific research into to establish empirical facts.

Who knows, most manufacturers of these sex enhancing bitters and herbal medicines might basically be adding strong aphrodisiac to pure alcohol and herbs, but not natural herbs.

Depending on alcohol and aphrodisiac for a long period could bring serious health consequences upon you the consumer. Remember that what you eat or drink over a period of time determines your health.

According to the Australian Department of Health and Ageing, 2009, long-term dependence on alcohol by men may lead to erectile dysfunction.

Fellow men, be aware that greater proportion of your sexual strength/performance lies in your brain, not in alcohol and all manner of aphrodisiacs.

Reference
Australian Department of Health and Ageing. (2009). Your Health and Alcohol. The Right Mix.

Author: Gbolu Samson
Founder, PHAN Ghana
[email protected]