By Dennis Peprah, GNA
Ntotroso, (B/A), July 28, GNA – Mr Maxwell Atuahene, the Assemblyman for Ntotroso in the Asutifi North District of the Brong-Ahafo Region, has expressed worry about the excessive use and abuse of tramol drug among the youth in the area.
He said immediate measures must be taken to bring the situation under control, else something unfortunate could happen to the users.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Ntotroso, a mining community in the area, Mr Atuahene who is the owner of the Maxwell Atuahene Chemical shop, an over the counter licensed drug store, said the demand for the drug among adolescent boys and girls in the area was very high.
Tramol (acetaminophen) is a pain reliever and a fever reducer and is used to treat many conditions such as headache, muscle aches, arthritis, backache, toothaches, colds and fevers.
It relieves pain in mild arthritis but its side effect according to the medicine seller is similar to a narcotic.
Mr Atuahene observed that the abusers of the drug who were mostly engaged in illegal or small scale mining laced it with five Star energy drink for either sexual enhancement or for narcotic purposes.
He noted the abuse of the drug was commonly among the youth in the major towns in the District- Kenyasi number one, Kenyasi number two, Ntotroso, Gyedu and Wamahinso.
Mr Atuahene indicated because the Police in the area had intensified patrols to clamp down on Indian hemp smokers and peddlers, many of them had changed and diverted attention to the excessive use of the tramol drug.
He appealed to the District Security Council to do something about the situation as soon as possible.
Mr Adusah Yakubu, the Chief Executive Officer of the Firm Foundation and Environment Ghana, a Kenyasi-based non-governmental organisation told the GNA that many Senior High School students, including girls were also abusing drugs.
He added that aside the use of the drug, alcoholism and sexual promiscuity among the students were also high which needed to be controlled.
Mr Yakubu suggested that the drug must be banned, if possible, saying that was the surest way to control its abuse among the youth in the area.
GNA
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