Over the past several weeks GhOne Tv’s ‘State of Affairs’ program, hosted by the indefatigable Nana Aba Anamoah, has been running several segments surrounding the rampant abuse of tramadol and other controlled substances, particularly by the youth in disadvantaged communities across the nation.
The program sees Nana Aba enter these afflicted communities to speak to these youth who often have harrowing and mind numbing stories to tell about what they are going through based of their abuse of the drug.
This has led Nana Aba Anamoah and GhOne TV to start a campaign aimed at ending tramadol abuse.
And on Thursday, 24th May, the #EndTramadolAbuse campaign was officially launched in the studios of GhOne TV.
The launch, aired live on tv, also served as a consultative forum between GhOne TV and bloggers in the country to discuss ways of getting them on board to further spread the message of the campaign.
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Bloggers present at the program included GhanaCelebrities.Com Managing Editor Godwin Nii-Armah Okine, Zionfelix, twinsdontbeg of Swag of Africa news, CypressGh and Ronnie is everywhere, among others.
‘Total Cheat’ hitmaker Fancy Gadam, EIB CEO Bola Ray and GhOne TV programs manager Afeafa Nfojoh were also in-studio for the launch.
The program, aside being the official launch, also served as a means for the bloggers to observe first hand the damage the abuse of drugs is capable of causing to fine young men and women, to bring home the plight and to see the need for joining the campaign.
In pre-selected videos aired before the program and in the conversations held with the users, they outlined several reasons behind why one might end up with the use of such drugs — including but not limited to need for energy, pain management, and to serve as a vehicle for enhanced s£xual performance.
Whilst it might give these short term benefits, in the long term the continued abuse of the drug leads to many side effects, in some instances even death.
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CEO of the EIB Network, Bola Ray, spoke before the program and said there was a dire need to tackle this problem and expressed appreciation for the spotlight shone on it by Nana Aba Anamoah’s relentless work whilst expressing the network’s willingness to help in any way they can with the campaign.
Fancy Gadam also spoke about the need to solve the menace, which for the most part affects people from the ‘ghetto’ who could be said to form the bulwark of his fanbase. According to the 2018 VGMA Song of the Year winner, he is prepared to contribute fully to the #EndTramadolAbuse campaign by lending his voice and massive influence to it.
To end the program, Nana Aba Anamoah solicited a pledge from the bloggers present to devote at least a day each week to the #EndTramadolAbuse campaign, a pledge which all and sundry enthusiastically agreed to.
Tramadol is an opoid pain medication used to treat moderate to severe pain. Whilst lesser doses are sold as a prescription only medication in the country with FDA approval, those abusing the drug buy it in larger doses which are not approved for use.