By
Alexander Nyarko Yeboah, GNA
Tema, Sept. 20, GNA – The Social Welfare and
Community Department (SWCD) of the Tema West Municipal Assembly (TWMA) has
organized a sensitization programme to educate the adolescent on the dangers of
Tramadol intake.
The programme, which is the first of its kind
since the establishment of the Municipality in March, was also to educate the
over one thousand adolescent participants on the need to ensure healthy
practices in order to grow into responsible adults.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the
sidelines of the programme at the Presbyterian Church, Batsonaa, the Unit Head,
Community Development, SWCD, Mr. Alex Tetteh, bemoaned the influential role of
social media in the spread of irresponsible behaviour including use of
Tramadol.
Mr. Tetteh said, “Our generation is so much
exposed to social media that our children want to experiment a lot of things
that come on these platforms, and that is also how the abuse of the drug came
to be prevalent.”
He called on all schools within the
Municipality to highlight education on the negative effects of use of Tramadol,
using the same social media to fight it.
He asked churches to join in the fight to
eradicate the illicit use of Tramadol by consciously teaching and preaching its
bad effects from the pulpit since most of the young people engaged in such
practices or were potential users even as church goers.
The Focal Person for Adolescent Health in the
Tema West Municipality, Ms. Cynthia Adaakwa, admonished parents to stop
insulting their wards frequently even in public, adding that “we are trying to
tell parents that at this stage, the adolescent knows what shyness is, so find
a good way to correct them and let them be your friend.”
Ms. Adaakwa observed that if one listened to
the adolescent, they would know and appreciate that fact there was someone who
cared for them.
“It’s about time we understood that most of
them need love and care so that they would be willing to confide in us, and
that would be the opportunity to win them from vices like abuse of drugs.”
The Assembly Member for the Batsonaa Electoral
Area, Mr. Joe Boaben Twumasi, in response to why the youth indulged in such
practices, cited low esteem as a major factor that affected the youth
negatively.
He therefore called on educationists and
parents to develop the sense of pride and confidence in children as they
climbed the educational ladder, observing that “those who found themselves not
fitting perfectly in society end up becoming abusers of such drugs.”
Tramadol or Tramol is a man-made narcotic
analgesic for managing moderate to severe pain during surgical operations and
is sold as a prescription drug.
GNA