More than a week after, the Management and students of Army Day Secondary School, Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State have yet to recover from the shock of the sudden death of a teenage student (names withheld) during school hours.
The unexpected incident had thrown the entire school into confusion as the teenage student reportedly suddenly slumped and died in the classroom.
The teenage student reportedly died from complications suffered after allegedly taking an overdose of Tramadol last Friday.
The teenage student (names withheld) was said to have suddenly slumped and slipped into a coma inside his class, prompting the worried school authorities to rush him to a nearby hospital, where he allegedly admitted to a regular intake of tramadol “to get high among his peers.”
An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, said, “The doctors said it was too late. The prolonged abuse of the drug had caused much damage to his entire system. He didn’t make it, as he later died. But his father, who is resident in Agbarho, Ughelli North Local Government Area, and was alerted when the school noticed the danger, tried to raise issues with the school authorities.
“He didn’t have much justification to make trouble. The child had been observed to always sleep in class and was hardly attentive during lessons. His father couldn’t deny noticing some of the abnormal behaviours himself, but the Tramadol confession shocked him.”
Abuse of Tramadol, which has become prevalent among youths, is believed to be on the rise with medical experts cautioning parents to be watchful of peer influence and strange habits among their children, in and out of home.
Tramadol, according to Wikipedia, is a narcotic-like pain reliever used to treat moderate to severe pain. It is an Opioid pain medication used to treat moderate to moderately severe pain. When taken by mouth in an immediate-release formulation, the onset of pain relief usually occurs within an hour. It is often combined with paracetamol (acetaminophen), as this is known to improve the efficacy of tramadol in relieving pain.
The serious side effects of Tramadol may include seizures, increased risk of serotonin syndrome, decreased alertness, and drug addiction, although the risk of serotonin syndrome appears to be low. Common side effects include: constipation, itchiness and nausea, among others. While a change in dosage may be recommended in those with kidney or liver problems, it is not recommended in those who are at risk of suicide.
Other dangers associated with the abuse of tramadol include headache, dizziness, drowsiness, tired feeling, constipation, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, nervousness/anxiety; or itching, sweating and flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling).
With the information about the risk in indiscriminate use or abuse of the Tramadol, the authorities of the Army Day Secondary School are still baffled any of its students could have taken to the use of such a sensitive and dangerous drug.
