Ghana’s youth now addicted to Super Glue inhaling and not Tramadol – Shocking Revelations

Crazy Glue” also known as Super Glue is the new drug that Ghana’s youth have hooked on. It sounds as crazy as its name. In fact, others are sniffing the shoemaker’s glue as well.

To suppress their frustrations at their harsh surroundings, street children have turned to drugs and glue sniffing. It is estimated that more than 60,000 children live on the streets in Nairobi. Kenya: July 2007.

Sadly, Ghana has no data on the number of youth engaged in this and no action plan has been birthed to weed out this craving for glue.

We should all be worried about what our youth are smoking and drinking in recent times, as they have added Super Glue to the list.

Super glue is an adhesive for bonding plastics, leather among others in the domestic and industrial sectors.

Today in Ghana, our youth who are craving for high and powerful doses of varied drugs have found other uses for it.

It is now inhaled and a drug in high demand. Whiles carpenters, shoe menders, and other users are worried this newfound use will shoot the price up, drug addicts in the country think they will go for super glue instead of tramadol due to the former being stronger and cheaper.

During a radio interview, it came to light that, users of this new dangerous drug say it cost them between GHS1 – GHS2 the whole day compared to others that cost between GHS4-GHS100 just for a day.

Ghana’s youth now addicted to Super Glue inhaling and not Tramadol

According to the drug addicts that have hooked to Superglue, once they buy GHS1.00, they empty it into an empty water plastic bottle then add a little amount of water to it. They close the cap and share for a while then allow it to flame up for about 2 minutes.

They replace the cover with their thump and inhale little by little. The gas formed in the bottle after the reaction between the elements missed together is what gives them the needed satisfaction according to our findings.

The vapour or gas locked up in the bottle is not permitted to escape the bottle unless it is being inhaled.

The youth who are hooked on this drug say once they inhale the gas, they feel high and stronger to work the entire day.

However, research has shown that most users of the drug are aged between 18 and 25. Those who are addicted, ones who inhale the gas cannot even stand as their feet wobble endlessly. They stagger and for them to be able to move, they usually pair head to head to attain some balance.

Super Glue is by far the strongest kind of glue the world over and bonds very fast. It is one of the few adhesives produced from the cyanoacrylate family. It is not water-based but an acrylic monomer that changes into plastic after curing.

It is believed to be nontoxic since it is made from food-safe ingredients however when they sniff or inhale this crazy glue, they get high due to the chemical components in it. They enjoy some temporary sense of euphoria or hallucinations and since they want to remain in that state they inhale every time they feel the excitement is going down and soon it becomes an addiction.

Our research shows that this euphoria or hallucinations feeling they experience lasts for just a few minutes.

Medical officers have warned of the dangerous health implications of inhaling glue and similar substances to achieve the described effects above. Glue becomes poisonous when inhaled because it contains ingredients such as Ethanol, Xylen, Light aliphatic naphtha, N-hexane, and Toluene. The presence of one or more of these in Super Glue will mess up any human system that repeatedly gets this into it.

The youth are aware of the likely health implications of inhaling the glue but, they will not back off that easily because it has become part of their being.

READ: Health risks of energy drinks to know before you buy the next bottle

Some of the Health Implications of Inhaling or Sniffing Super Glue

1. It can lead to short-term and long-term health problems.

2. You become disorganized and lack stabled life, mind, and self-control.

3. It can lead to death.

Super Glue inhaling has serious implications on health, human resource, and may contribute to increased social vices. NGOs, School leadership, Teachers, and Ministry of Health, and all stakeholders must wake up before this hits us hard. The youth say it is stronger gives them a better dealing than tramadol. We need an urgent reaction to nip it at the bud.

If you see young men and women in a crowd having endless fun and holding a plastic bottle containing just a little water. Think again…it might be Super Glue.