Codeine Cough Syrup Abuse on the Rise in Morocco Due to Lack of Prescription Regulations

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines substance abuse as “the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs.” Also known as drug abuse, it involves using drugs in quantities or ways that are hazardous to the user or other people. It is a type of substance use disorder. Alcohol, amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cannabis, cocaine, hallucinogens, methaqualone, and opioids are the substances most frequently linked to this term. Although the exact root of substance abuse is unknown, there are two leading theories: either a hereditary predisposition or a habit picked up from others that, if it becomes an addiction, presents as a chronic, crippling illness.

Codeine Cough Syrup

World statistics show that a total of 270 million people (or 5.5% of the population of the world between the ages of 15 and 64) reported using psychoactive drugs in the preceding year, and 35 million people are thought to be suffering from drug use disorders. Furthermore, an estimated 0.5 million deaths per year, 350,000 of which are men and 150,000 of which are women, are thought to be related to drug usage. According to the UN, the prevalence of illegal drug use in Africa is increasing. The most vulnerable demographic in consumption countries has been found to be young individuals, particularly those who can’t withstand peer pressure and begin drug usage for recreational purposes. Additionally, it has been found that young individuals from unstable or underprivileged environments may be tempted to use drugs as a way to escape their problems. Many of them all over the continent are turning to a variety of strange concoctions, such as smoking lizard dung, sniffing gasoline, and glue, fermenting sewage, and drinking urine, for a cheap high. This is especially true for teenagers and young adults, for whom drug and alcohol abuse is the leading cause of disability and death globally.

The widespread epidemic amongst the young population of Morocco

There are few epidemiological studies on adolescent drug and alcohol usage in underdeveloped nations, particularly in Arab countries. Morocco is an Arabic-speaking nation in North Africa with a population of approximately 36 million people. The unusually long history of cannabis (marijuana) use in the nation provides the cultural context for its current position as one of the world’s major hashish producers. Hashish is a compressed and more concentrated form of cannabis. The nation has a long history of illicit drug manufacture and trade. The cannabis crop is grown on thousands of acres of farmland in the nation’s northern region, and this industry is thought to employ 100,000 locals. Alcohol and drugs are available in the nation despite being prohibited by Islam and illegal.

A study was carried out among 2,139 high school students in Rabat-Salé, Morocco. The goals were to find out how common substance use was among high school students, determine when people first started using drugs, and understand how teenagers felt about and behaved around drugs. The students ranged in age from 14 to 23. The prevalence curves demonstrated that the students used drugs in variable amounts. Alcohol, cannabis, and psychotropic drugs were frequently patronized, with tobacco being the most used. Of those aged 15 to 17, 40% reported using multiple drugs. The youngest students started using drugs at a young age, and one-third of the students had a friend or family member who used the same substance. Absences from class, parental neglect, poor grades, and discontent with the parent-child bond are just a few of the lifestyle choices and behaviors that have been related to drug use.

Addiction to codeine-based cough syrup is an opioid crisis that is ravaging Morocco. In contrast to pricey opioid prescription medications, codeine, which is present in several cough syrups, is affordable and accessible in local pharmacies that tend to ignore the prescription requirement. Therapeutically, it can be used to relieve mild to moderately severe pain or to stop coughing. Available as a pill, capsule, and liquid solution, it is frequently mixed with other components like acetaminophen and flu medication. It is a prescription substance that has evolved into a street narcotic, and it has become an addiction for numerous young people across the African continent. It is sometimes combined with sodas to create a mixture known as “lean,” or it is just drunk right out of the bottle. According to statistics compiled by local anti-drug organizations, the substance has been used in elementary and secondary schools, which has led to an increase in the dropout rate from school. It has been a common evasive technique among high school students to combine codeine and soda in water bottles so that no one would know they were consuming these substances. Knowing that not only young people but also parents, the government, law enforcement agencies, and pharmaceutical firms are to blame for this drug epidemic is highly disturbing. These parties are fostering drug use through their irresponsibility and negligence. Law enforcement officers, in particular, are turning a blind eye to what is going on on the street. Nowadays, it’s fairly typical to see young people freely partying with soda bottles filled with ice-chilled mixtures of promethazine cough syrup and cola-flavored soda. When young people are out and about, they frequently drink this to get high. And these are all seen as normal.

Its detrimental effect on society

Long-term drug and alcohol use changes how the brain works and can result in negative and destructive behaviors. It may be more challenging for an addict to overcome their addiction the longer they put off getting help for their drug abuse problem. There is a convoluted link between drugs and conduct; the most detrimental aspect of drug use is the changed behavior while using the drug. More individuals than just the addict are impacted by substance misuse, including family members, neighbors, coworkers, friends, and even pedestrians on the street. It has led to violent crime escalation, exacerbation of already existing and creation of mental health conditions, ruining of families, and prohibition of addicts from leading productive lives. Over the past decade, a substantial increase in the rate of crime has been recorded. Substance abuse has been linked to domestic abuse, burglaries, gang conflicts, shootouts, and even murders. Particularly in the Tangier area, drug addiction among the youths is said to be substantially greater than elsewhere in Morocco. “Highness” can be achieved on the streets of Casablanca for a few dirhams and with the “proper” connections.

The implications for mental health

Negative health effects, both immediate and long-term, can result from substance use disorders. These effects can range from mild to severe and can be both physical and mental. Addiction and mental disorders afflict a large number of Moroccan youngsters. With so many of them now wandering the streets owing to mental illness, the effects of drug addiction are glaring. Many individuals, even law enforcement officials, merely see them and turn their heads. Nobody cares. It’s doubtful that someone who is actively abusing drugs or alcohol would go about beheading others. Surprisingly, incidents like this frequently go “unnoticed.” These individuals are at risk of developing disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder.

The remedies to curb this menace

The Moroccan authorities must successfully coordinate and carry out a strategic national response to drug abuse to reduce drug abuse rates and the negative consequences they have on society. A number of practical steps can be implemented to curb this situation. This covers measures like enforcing security and law enforcement strategies, monitoring the sales of prescription drugs, and penalizing pharmacies that do not follow the law.

Access to over-the-counter medications like codeine that could be abused should be limited. The sale of these drugs should be closely monitored and regulated. A person’s purchase or possession limit may be set, and a prescription should be made compulsory.

Relevant ministries like the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports should create a social communication strategy to combat the situation of substance abuse in the nation. The strategies should include raising the standard of treatment options for drug users and preventing drug addiction in young people and other vulnerable groups while also fostering mental health.

Furthermore, investing in children and keeping them engaged in life is the most efficient method to stop adolescent drug usage. After-school activities, mentorship programs, programs for developing skills and finding employment, and summer employment should all receive more money from the government.

Conclusion

Too frequently, society despises and shuns those who are battling addiction on the presumption that their drug use is their fault and they are only harming themselves. But that is a limited perspective on a significant societal problem. Government laws should be adjusted to function adequately in curbing this menace.