“Here in Ghana hard work don’t deserve money”: The uncertainty and precarity of youth who use tramadol

Alhassan, Jacob Albin Korem

doi:10.1016/j.ssmqr.2022.100165

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Additionally, Alhassan etal. (30) in their study observed that individuals who had friends who took tramadol and other substances had a greater risk of abusing drugs than those who did not have such friends. The study also agrees with a study in Egypt about the causes of addiction, it was reported that, 50% of the participants studied were addicted as a result of peer in uence.…”

Section: Perceived Psychological Effects Of Tramadolmentioning

confidence: 95%

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Tramadol Abuse Among Yeloyelo Drivers in the Tamale Metropolis

Salifu,

Adam,

Toufique

2024

Preprint

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Background Tramadol abuse has become a major public health concern in many countries and Ghana as well. This study was carried out among tricycle drivers (Yeloyelo drivers) in the Tamale metropolis. This study sought to discuss the factors that influence the use of tramadol among tricycle drivers in the Tamale metropolitan area in the Northern Ghana. Methods The study employed qualitative approach. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to select six terminal stations and 30 participants were selected from the six tricycle terminals stations in the Tamale Metropolis. 60 participants were also selected for FGDs. The results were analyzed using the Nvivo 10 software. Results The results of the study found that majority of the participants were engaged in the use of tramadol, some participants were found using tramadol and other substances such as alcohol mixed energy drinks, tramadol mixed with alcohol and snuffing of moringa powder mixed with cocaine without prescription from a physician. The study revealed that most participants abuse tramadol by taking in unapproved dosages of 500, 250, 200 and 150 (mg) dosages respectively as mentioned by some participants in the interviews conducted. Conclusion The study revealed that the three most compelling reasons why tricycle drivers use tramadol are; to energize themselves and become physically active, to relieve pains and peer group pressure. The study equally found the following side effects supporting the use of tramadol. Nausea, road accidents, sleeping while driving, anxiety, aggressiveness and dizziness are possible effects of tramadol use as was mentioned by participants. In addition, respiratory failures, anxiety, depression, aggressiveness, seizures, inattentiveness and inability to focus are equally the side effects of tramadol use among the yeloyelo drivers in the Tamale Metropolis.

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Section: Perceived Psychological Effects Of Tramadolmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…In line with this assertion. Alhassan, (30). revealed that tramadol improves task performance in a randomized controlled study.…”

Section: Perceived Psychological Effects Of Tramadolmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tramadol Abuse Among Yeloyelo Drivers in the Tamale Metropolis

Salifu,

Adam,

Toufique

2024

Preprint

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“…This study is part of a broader research project to understand the drivers of tramadol use among West African youth. I report here mainly on the newspaper sources with some references to interview data although a longer discussion of lived experiences of youth who use tramadol is reported elsewhere [33]. The research employed a qualitative case study methodology [34] drawing on multiple methods and relying on primary and secondary data sources.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Where is the pain? A qualitative analysis of Ghana’s opioid (tramadol) ‘crisis’ and youth perspectives

Alhassan

2022

PLOS Glob Public Health

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Over the last five years, media reports in West African countries have suggested a tramadol abuse ‘crisis’ characterised by a precipitous rise in use by youth in the region. This discourse is connected to evidence of an emerging global opioid crisis. While the reported increase in tramadol abuse in West Africa is likely true, few studies have critically interrogated structural explanations for tramadol use by youth. Nascent academic literature has sought to explain the rise in drug use as a function of moral weakness among youth. This Ghanaian case study draws on primary and secondary data sources to explore the pain that precedes tramadol abuse. Through a discourse analysis of 295 media articles and 15 interviews (11 with youth who currently use tramadol and 4 with health system stakeholders), this study draws on structural violence and moral panic theories to contribute to the emerging literature on tramadol (ab)use in West Africa. The evidence parsed from multiple sources reveals that government responses to tramadol abuse among Ghanaian youth have focused on arrests and victim blaming often informed by a moralising discourse. Interviews with those who use tramadol on their lived experiences reveal however that although some youth use the opioid for pleasure, many use tramadol for reasons related to work and feelings of dislocation. A more complex way to understand tramadol use among young people in Ghana is to explore the pain that leads to consumption. Two kinds of pain; physical (related to strenuous work) and non-physical (related to anxiety and the condition of youth itself) explain tramadol use requiring a harm reduction and social determinants of health approach rather than the moralising ‘war on drugs’ approach that has been favoured by policy makers.

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“…What then are the causes of upsurge in tramadol abuse? In Ghana (Alhassan, 2022) and South Africa (Hunter, 2020), the root causes of tramadol upsurge are politically and economically driven. Politically, the aggressive acculturative effects of colonialism presented the youths with economic problems.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cannabis swap: gender and tramadol use among Nigerian university students

Ugwu

2023

JHASS

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PurposeCannabis as a recreational drug is prohibited in Nigeria. Consequently, the open use of cannabis attracts both formal and informal sanctions. As such, there is much stigma on users' faces across social spaces. This has led to innovations in drug use. Recently, non-medical use of tramadol has been rising across each of the gender categories. This study aims to understand (1) tramadol use prompts, (2) the sudden surge in gendered recreational use of tramadol and (3) the gendered challenges of recreational tramadol use among Nigerian university students.Design/methodology/approachData were collected between December 2021 and October 2022. The researcher conducted 20 semi-structured interviews, with participants chosen purposefully from acquaintances and others selected through chain referral. The selection criteria included knowledge of a particular tramadol tablet and willingness to participate. This study got ethical approval from the Anambra State Ministry of Health (Ref: MH/AWK/M/321/354) and oral consent was obtained before the interviews. The participants were assured of confidentiality. The interviews were conducted in English (the formal Nigerian language) and lasted between 30 and 65 min. The data collected were transcribed and coded manually, and themes generated.FindingsFindings suggest that peer pressures accounted for entry-level drug use. However, cannabis-related stigma is attributed to the surge in tramadol use across gender categories. Furthermore, academic pressure and sexuality are major reasons for tramadol use. The challenges associated with tramadol use include headaches and addiction.Originality/valueThis study, to the best of the author’s knowledge, presents alternative data on the surge in tramadol use among Nigerian university students.

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“Here in Ghana hard work don’t deserve money”: The uncertainty and precarity of youth who use tramadol

Cited by 3 publications

References 29 publications

Tramadol Abuse Among Yeloyelo Drivers in the Tamale Metropolis

Tramadol Abuse Among Yeloyelo Drivers in the Tamale Metropolis

Where is the pain? A qualitative analysis of Ghana’s opioid (tramadol) ‘crisis’ and youth perspectives

Cannabis swap: gender and tramadol use among Nigerian university students

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