The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in the Upper West Region is urging courts to impose harsher penalties on individuals involved in the illegal sale and abuse of Tramadol and other unregistered medicines.
Speaking at a drug awareness programme organised for basic school pupils on Friday, July 18, Regional FDA Director Sankpal Dafaari Kelvin said current punishments are too lenient and fail to deter offenders.
He highlighted a recent case in Nabulo, a community in the Sissala East Municipality, where FDA officers uncovered a shop selling only unregistered drugs, including the highly potent Tramadol 500mg — known locally as “the red.” Ghanaian law only permits the sale of Tramadol up to 100mg, making the 500mg dosage illegal.
“Something happened that made me vow never to fight Tramadol addicts again in the Upper West Region,” Mr Kelvin told pupils, recounting how the operation on 30 May almost turned violent. The following day, local residents allegedly attempted to attack the FDA team. The situation was calmed with the intervention of the regional minister and police.
The suspect was charged under Section 118 of the Public Health Act, which allows for a prison sentence of up to 15 years or a fine of 1,500 penalty units. But the court imposed a fine of just 160 penalty units — equivalent to GHC 1,920.
Mr Kelvin expressed frustration over the ruling, revealing that the FDA had spent GHC 6,950 on fuel, accommodation and logistics for the operation. “Is this judgment fair? If I decide not to fight Tramadol again, am I wrong?” he asked.
He added that light penalties undermine enforcement and waste public resources. “I wanted someone to go to prison to serve as an example,” he said.
He also referenced a 2023 case where an offender was fined GHC 2,000, later increased to GHC 4,000 following an appeal. According to Mr Kelvin, the individual had offered to settle the matter informally with a GHC 30,000 payment — an offer he rejected.
The FDA is pushing for custodial sentences in such cases to reflect the severity of drug-related offences and to serve as a stronger deterrent.
