Tramadol, a hijacked drug ravaging West Africa

From Pain Medicine to Street Drug

Initially used in hospitals to relieve severe pain, Tramadol, an opioid, has gradually been diverted for non-medical use. Workers subjected to arduous working conditions and young people in search of escape have made it an addictive substance, often consumed with strong alcohol.

Traffic fueled by imports and local production

With increasing demand, Tramadol is now available on clandestine markets, fueled by :
🔹 Fraudulent imports from Asia, via Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea or Liberia.
🔹 Clandestine laboratories producing counterfeit versions, often more potent and dangerous.

Insufficient Repression in the Face of a Social and Economic Scourge

Faced with this threat, several countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, have launched an active fight against trafficking:
✅ Closure of the “Roxy” black market in Abidjan.
✅ Massive seizures and dismantling of criminal networks.
✅ Interventions by anti-drug police, such as the one on March 20, 2025 in Daloa, which led to the arrest of several traffickers.

However, this repression is not enough to curb the problem, which reveals a deeper social crisis:
📌 Lack of job security and unemployment are pushing young people towards drug use.
📌 Deficient healthcare systems encouraging the growth of fraudulent drugs.
📌 A flourishing parallel economy, attracting criminal networks and anonymous financiers.

Conclusion: A Health and Safety Emergency

While Côte d’Ivoire is hard hit, the whole of West Africa is affected by this growing scourge. Worse still, a worrying rise in cocaine consumption seems to be emerging, threatening to make the situation even worse. Only a comprehensive approach combining law enforcement, prevention and health policy reform will be able to curb this crisis.