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Abusing Tramadol is a national threat - Health Minister

Tramadol is a synthetic narcotic analgesic or pain reliever prescribed to patients suffering from moderate to severe pain.

According to him, the drug is not good for the health of Ghanaians who are addicted to it.

Speaking at an Inter-Agency Forum on Strategies for Countering Counterfeit Drugs and Substance in Accra on Monday, he said, "the recent issues on the abuse of drugs including Tramadol and codeine has become a national threat. Which requires concerted efforts by all stakeholders."

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Tramadol is an oral tablet and a prescription medication used to treat moderate to severe pain.

Tramadol abuse, according to medical experts, functions like heroin and can cause  psychotic problems as well as damage vital organs in the human body.

However, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA)  has called for inter-agency and international collaboration in the area of awareness creation on the high abuse of Tramadol among the public in order to curb the social menace.

Olivia Agyekumwaa Boateng, the Head of the Tobacco and Substance Abuse Department of the FDA said Tramadol and CCS abuse in Ghana became an issue of interest about two years ago, 2016, when intelligence gathered across the country pointed to scattered incidences.

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