Abuse and Misuse of Tramadol among the Youth in the Wassa Amenfi West Municipality in the Western Region of Ghana

Tramadol is a synthetic (man-made) pain reliever (analgesic). Researchers and doctors do not know the exact mechanism of action of tramadol, but it is similar to morphine. The proliferation of tramadol has become popular among the youth in the Wassa Amenfi West district in the Western Region of Ghana which calls for concern and coordinated efforts by all stakeholders to get rid of this drug from the open markets and unapproved sources. The objective of the study was to assess the knowledge and contact traces of tramadol among the youth in Wassa Amenfi West District in the Western Region of Ghana. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was adopted using structured questionnaire as the major instrument for the collection of data- this was both closed and open-ended. A sample size of 300 respondents was used through the use of simple random sampling technique. Quantitative data analysis methods were used with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0 in the analysis of the data. The study found that majority (84.7%) of respondents knew about tramadol of which more happened to be males. A chi-square test revealed a significance association between knowledge on tramadol and demographic variables. There is a significance evidence of association between the use of tramadol and demographic variables with probability value less than alpha (α=0.05). The study found that participants take higher doses of tramadol. The chi-square test computation revealed a significant association between the doses of tramadol taken per day and respondents' demographic variables. The study found that preponderance (84%) of respondents knew people who use tramadol of which majority were their friends and coworkers. It also turned out that (69.3%) of the respondents knew where tramadol is readily available. In determining the main reason why participants use tramadol, the survey found that more than half (55%) of the respondents affirmed themain purpose of tramadol as energy booster, (30%) attested sexual ecstasy and performance. In conclusion, the availability of tramadol in our Ghanaian community should be highly regulated since its abuse among the youth is on the ascendency. It is a real issue that should be tackled with concerted effort to curtail this menace most especially in the Wassa Amanfi West district.