PAINKILLER AS ADDICTIVE AS HEROIN

TRAMADOL is one of the strongest painkillers available and can be as addictive as heroin.

In the UK, it is a class C drug and is available only with a doctor’s prescription. Doctors treat it as a last resort when other painkillers stop working. It is illegal for anyone else to supply tramadol, to have it or to give it away, even to friends.

In Egypt the opioid is widely abused by drug users to boost alertness and sexual stamina. It is popular with the poor working class, who take it to give them more energy to hold down multiple jobs.

Users who try to quit can encounter severe withdrawal symptoms including night sweats and depression.

In 2015, tramadol was the most common illicit drug in Egypt. Rehabilitation centres in Cairo have described being overwhelmed with users. Widespread use over the past five years led to a crackdown in Egypt which saw black market prices rise. But it is still relatively affordable.

Egyptian authorities take a no-nonsense approach to anyone caught with tramadol whether they intended to sell it or not.

The Foreign Office warns travellers: ‘Some prescribed and over-the-counter medicines that are available in the UK are considered controlled substances in Egypt and can’t be brought into the country without prior permission from Egypt’s Ministry of Health.

‘If you arrive in Egypt without this permission and the required documentation, the medication will not be allowed into the country and you may be prosecuted.’