00:28Transcription by ESO. Translation by —
00:38Tramadol is an opioid used to treat severe pain.
00:41It's designed to block pain signals between your brain and central nervous system
00:45and can create a sense of euphoria.
00:51I go by the name Ernest.
00:54I am 24 years old and I was at the street at the age of 15 years.
01:00And I was addicted by Tramadol.
01:03Addiction to prescription drugs has become a serious global health concern.
01:08Tramadol abuse in particular is a rising problem across West and North Africa.
01:14My mom and my dad divorced.
01:16Anytime I would go to mom, my mom would say, like, go to dad.
01:20I was owing classes fee.
01:22And my dad said, he don't have enough on him.
01:25So I need to stop the school and go and find some work and do so that I'll get enough
01:31money to feed myself.
01:32So I came to explain to a friend of mine.
01:36And he said, oh, it's the same situation that he's also facing.
01:39So, like, he thinks it's good for us to leave home.
01:44She showed me ghettos.
01:46A friend of mine said, if I'm going to beg, I should take some Tramadol.
01:50So that gives me the confidence to beg.
01:55Tramadol raises serotonin and noradrenaline levels in the brain.
01:59These neurotransmitters help regulate mood and are often prescribed as antidepressants.
02:04Taking the drug can therefore induce feelings of relaxation and calm that some people experience as a high.
02:10The first time I took it, I was walking, laughing, like, everything is funny for me.
02:16So anytime I would take Tramadol, no one would come and disturb me.
02:21Tramadol is generally available only on prescription.
02:24Black market versions often contain dangerously high doses of its active ingredient.
02:29The addiction risk is high.
02:31So if I don't have enough amount on me, I'll go for the fake one.
02:36And if you take it, you'll vomit.
02:39Throughout the day, you'll sleep.
02:41If there's no Tramadol in the body, picture it like a car without a petrol.
02:46I can't go anywhere.
02:50Because it affects multiple neurotransmitters, Tramadol can cause a wider range of emotions than typical opioids.
02:57The sudden mood boost it provokes can be followed by irritability, anxiety, or sadness as levels drop.
03:04At the roadside, I was vomiting, I was crying, and I was praying to God, and I saw someone passing
03:11by.
03:12I couldn't talk, so I did the sign to the person, and he gave the water to me.
03:17He said, I should come out from this bad company.
03:22I realized that I was forgetting things, and I was scared, because when I still continue to take the Tramadol,
03:29how will it harm me?
03:35A Tramadol overdose can cause severe breathing or heart problems, seizures, unconsciousness, or even death.
03:43We met Ernest at a ghetto.
03:46He looked confused.
03:49It's difficult for youth to overcome Tramadol.
03:52Because it's something that the body gets used to.
03:55Their mind forms a certain pattern with the drug, and so once it's absent, then the body starts reacting.
04:02And so they lose the peace they have, and they have body aches.
04:08They sometimes even fall sick, so they would rather go abuse it so that they can feel okay.
04:16It's very difficult for them to get off it.
04:19I will stop like one, two months, and I'll have a strong edge on it.
04:25Then I'll go back.
04:26It took us like nine months to bring him to a point of stability, but we made him understand that
04:35he doesn't need to hide the challenge,
04:37because we understand that is the challenge with the drug.
04:39So we've come to that point.
04:41When he is struggling, he will open up.
04:44NSC indicated his interest in football.
04:48We thought that was a good opportunity for him to channel his energy.
04:57Once I'm training my football career, I'm training my academic, and I'm training my mind also.
05:04Then I need to stop the Tramadol and focus on my training.
05:08I can say that the first NSC was not like today's NSC, because today's NSC is Amy Hyde, and he
05:18has a vision in the future.
05:20Before you act up, before me act up, before you act up, call me when you need motivation, call me
05:30I can be your inspiration.
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