35 containers of restricted tramadol seized across ports – NAFDAC

Efforts by the Federal Government to end drug abuse by youths has yielded fruit as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has seized 35 containers of restricted tramadolat various ports in the country.The Director General of the agency, Moji Adeyeye disclosed this while speaking withthe News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.She said nine out of the seized containers of tramadol were released to NAFDAC by the Nigeria Custom Service (NCS), and hadbeen destroyed by the agency.“We are seriously working with the custom on this; and each time they seize any container, they usually invite us to come and see the containers with tramadol.“So far, 35 containers were seized and onlynine of them have been handed over to NAFDAC which we have destroyed,” she said.She, however, decried the delay by the custom in handing over the rest of the containers to her agency.The NAFDAC boss stated that tramadol was a restricted drug but had been abused by Nigerian youths who use it without prescription.According to Ms Adeyeye, who is also a professor of pharmacology, the drug destroys children’s brain; thereby threatening the future generation of the nation.She lauded the present administration for placing an embargo on codeine, which she said, like tramadol, should only be given only by prescription as done in advanced country.NAN reports that the director general said the agency was more determined and committed than ever to stem the menace of illicit and fake drugs in the country.Recall that the Federal Government recently banned the local production and importation of codeine as addictive cough syrup, which is consistently abused.Stakeholders in the health sector have strongly condemned the activities of drug traffickers in view of their negative consequences of destroying the future of Nigerian youths, who are the leaders of tomorrow.

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