DMC Ghana, an advertising agency in Accra has
released a short film addressing Tramadol abuse in Ghana.
The skit directed by Harold Yeboa Amoa stars Comedian
Jerry who plays Jerry, a boy who died after abusing the painkiller. In the
video, Jerry puts Tramadol pills into a flask containing juice, drinks it and
enters the bathroom to shower, with the intention of getting ‘high’ before
breakfast. His mother enters his room, sees a box of Tramadol on the sink but she’s
so oblivious about the situation because she thinks her son is trying to get
rid of a mild pain.
The video titled “Tramol”, a local slang for Tramadol addresses the high probability
of some parents ignoring certain signs linking their children to drug addiction.
“Unlike marijuana or cocaine, Tramadol can be purchased at a pharmacy even
though prescriptions are now required. Since it is a well packaged drug, teen
abusers can keep them in their rooms without arousing suspicion from parents
and this makes it more dangerous”, says Harold.
Tramadol abuse has been on the rise among the Ghanaian
youth and this has been a major concern for the government. In March this year,
a junior high school student in Accra died after taking 10 tablets of Tramadol.
The Ministry of Health has taken steps to curb
the situation by restricting it to buyers without prescription. The advertising
company is hoping that the video would draw parents’ attention to some signs of
drug addiction they usually ignore.
