Tramadol: "The Devil's Pill" That Mexican Cartels Traffic To The US And Africa

[Judi Lynn]

By Sol Prendido 3/29/2024 01:53:00 PM

With stops in Colombia and Guinea Bissau, the mafias of Sinaloa and Jalisco move “the devil's pill” in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Togo... Although it is legal in Mexico, the UN equates its addictive effects with fentanyl if consumption is doubled.

In Mexico it is a low-cost medicine that anyone can buy without a prescription, but in Africa it is an illegal drug that is ending the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people. And, at the same time, it is a big business for Mexican cartels that could rival the fentanyl market.

It's Tramadol. An analgesic to relieve moderate to severe pain. Its sale is so common that even a teenager can purchase a box of 100 milligram tablets for less than 99 pesos in its generic version. It’s so common that it’s part of the usual assortment in the medicine cabinets of Mexican families, who tend to be unaware that—like fentanyl—Tramadol is a synthetic opioid that in a short time can generate a powerful addiction.

In Africa, these same pills have different names, depending on the country. Some call it the terrorists' drug; others, the devil's pill. If used in low doses, it numbs like morphine; But if used in high doses, it produces long energy spikes throughout the day like heroin, according to experts at the World Health Organization.

More:
https://www.borderlandbeat.com/2024/03/tramadol-devils-pill-that-mexican.html