Substance Abuse: The Enormous Health Risks We Should Talk About

Introduction

Behind the jokes in dorm rooms and the laughter in city lounges, a quiet crisis grows, with young people increasingly turning to codeine, shisha, and tramadol. Once limited to pharmacies and cafés, these substances now serve as symbols of escape and identity. Beneath the surface of experimentation lies addiction, emotional decline, and lost futures. This article brings truth to light, not to scold, but to awaken.

Understanding the Substances

Codeine feels harmless, just a cough syrup ingredient. But it’s an opiate, chemically close to heroin. Mixed with soda as “Lean” or “Codeine Diet,” it blurs pain and reality, leading quickly to dependence.

Shisha, or hookah, is celebrated socially. Fruity flavors and artistic pipes mask the danger: one session can deliver the smoke of 100 cigarettes. Still, it thrives online and in cafés.

Tramadol is the most deceptive. Intended for serious pain, it now circulates among students, traders, and artisans. It promises strength and relief, but brings seizures, hallucinations, and death.

Why Youths Are Drawn In

Peer pressure, social media, and escape fuel the trend. With stress from unemployment, school, or loneliness, these drugs become coping tools.

Marketing, intentional or not, also plays a role. Codeine appears in over-the-counter medications. Shisha feels like a harmless social ritual. Tramadol, despite restrictions, is easy to find in unregulated markets.

In some African countries, half of young male drug users take tramadol regularly. Shisha now outpaces cigarette smoking in many universities.

Health Risks

Codeine begins as relief but becomes a trap. Early effects include calm and euphoria. But with time, it causes liver damage, slowed breathing, and addiction. Mentally, it mutes ambition and warps self-image, especially harmful to the developing teenage brain.

Shisha’s appeal hides deadly risks: the charcoal releases carbon monoxide, heavy metals, and carcinogens. Long-term use causes bronchitis, heart disease, and cancer. Non-smokers nearby also inhale this toxic smoke.

Tramadol wears a friendly mask, energy, mood boost, but reveals its danger quickly. It brings seizures, confusion, organ damage, and, when mixed with alcohol or opioids, sudden death. Many describe the after-effects as terrifying: hallucinations, vomiting, anxiety.

Impact on Mental Health

The adolescent brain is still forming. Adding drugs at this stage halts development. Memory weakens. Risky decisions rise. Many seek these drugs for relief, but spiral deeper into anxiety and depression.

A cycle begins: drug use, academic failure, shame, and more drug use. It ruins relationships, clouds identity, and leaves many isolated.

Legal and Social Fallout

In many places, codeine and tramadol are tightly controlled. Using or selling them without prescriptions can lead to arrest. But young people often seek escape or connection, not crime.

Socially, the damage is just as deep. Trust erodes. Opportunities vanish. Families drift apart. And stigma keeps silence louder than help.

Fighting Back

Punishment alone won’t solve this. We need prevention, empathy, and education. Schools must share not just facts, but real stories. Social media can amplify truth and hope, not just trends.

Communities need mentorship, accessible rehab, and honest dialogue. Parents must speak openly, without panic or shame. Governments must control supply, but also offer healing paths, not just jail cells.

Conclusion

This drug crisis is a reflection of pain, pressure, and longing. But there’s a way pathway forward, through honesty, education, and empathy. As a young person, your life is not a brand. It’s your story. Protect it.