Montserrado County District #3 Representative Sumo Mulbah, on June 24, the 12th day sitting of the second session, communicated with the Plenary of the House of Representatives alarming the issue of alleged consumption of tramadol and other dangerous substances by teenagers.
Tramadol, according to google’s definition, is used to relieve moderate to moderately severe pain, including pain after surgery. It is also used to treat pain severe enough to require opioid treatment and when other pain medicines did not work well enough or cannot be tolerated. The extended-release capsules or tablets are used for chronic ongoing pain, but here, it is abused.
It is based on the misused of the tablet that Rep. Mulbah is seeking the cooperation of his colleagues to restrict the use of the drug only to patient in need.
His quest is part of efforts to further reduce the use of narcotic drugs among the youths, especially the use of tramadol.
Rep. Mulbah in his communication to the House’s Plenary, claimed that many young people of which are school going children, are consuming dangerous substances thus posing serious threat to the country’s youthful generation.
“Though the government is making some gains in curtailing drug abusers, sellers, and importer through the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency,” Rep. Mulbah said, “it is also essential to acknowledge another threat within the pharmacies purchased by patients of which the drug enforcement team cannot combat without the involvement of the Ministry of Health.”
He said, the misused of tramadol among youths and teenager in schools, and in the communities is becoming increasingly prevalent, “because, authorities at the Ministry of Health and other regulatory authorities are failing to regulate the sale of tramadol.”
According to Mulbah, the illegal substances are gradually destroying the future generation, who stands at risk if government did not take serious steps to alleviate the consumption of “bad substances.”
“Liberian youths are getting mad on daily basis as a result of the repeated consumption of these dangerous substances. This is posing serious threat to the livelihood of other drug-free citizens,” Rep. Mulbah recalled.
He said, a week ago, residents recorded a sadden movement in his District #3 where four promising young men lost their lives to tramadol.
Mulbah called on health authorities to regulate the sale of the illegal substances to further curtail the use of tramadol among the youthful generation.
He meanwhile rallied his colleagues to treat the matter with urgency as to further prevent continue loss of lives among the young people.