Say no to Tramadol, HIV/AIDS - Youth advised

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BEST NACEM, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Mr Stephen Nana Afful, has cautioned the youth against the use and abuse of illicit drugs.

He said the abuse of drugs, such as tramadol and codeine, was detrimental to the health of the youth and urged those who took such drugs to stop as the long-term implication could have dire consequences on their health.

“There is a growing trend of tramadol abuse among Ghanaian youth in some parts of the country and this is alarming because it is detrimental to their health”, he said.

Mr Afful was speaking at a sensitisation programme for junior high school (JHS) students in the Mfantseman municipality at the Mfantseman Girls' Senior High School.

The programme, which was organised by BEST NACEM, with support from Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), was on the theme: “Say No to Tramadol and HIV/AIDS”.

Concerted Efforts

Mr Afful stressed the need for concerted efforts from the public and stakeholders in the health sector to address the problem before it depleted the country’s human resources.

He said regular sensitisation programmes would go a long way to alert students on the dangers of tramadol abuse and desist from taking the drug.
“The youth are the future of the country and it is incumbent on all to ensure that they are guided and moulded into responsible adults”, he admonished.

Peer Pressure

A Technical Coordinator at the Central Regional Technical Support Unit of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Mr William Kwaku Yeboah, advised the students not to give in to negative peer pressure influence.

He encouraged them to exercise self-control saying, “once you have made a firm decision not to do something based on your logic, ethics, values, and heart, you must stick to your decision.

“The ability to say no is necessary to avoid doing what you really don't want to do”, he stated.

Students from the participating schools also put up drama performance and poetry recitals, on the need to say no to tramadol abuse.