I'd only cry in the rain.

May 22, 2018 6:38 AM

Just like in the US, where a lack of insurance leaves millions of impoverished people with addiction lacking access to care, most people with addiction in Nigeria’s 190-million strong population struggle to find the kind of ongoing support addiction requires amid the country’s bare-bones health care system. In theory, Bolu was fortunate to fall onto the state’s radar, but studies show that the kind of sudden-withdrawal detox offered at rehab doesn’t work very well to treat addiction. The first sight that greeted Bolu was a man lying facedown on the concrete floor, his legs tied to a pillar in the middle of the room. “I came in and I saw someone chained. I thought this was just — you know, Nigeria, people don’t really have information on drugs — rehab is, like, for mad people. Everybody just thinks there’s mad people in here.”
posted by ChuraChura (2 comments total)

Wow, what a read. Thanks for posting.
posted by greenish at 9:56 AM on May 22, 2018

Wow, I had no idea that Tramadol could become such a problem if you pair it with other stuff. And the fact that Benin is the second-largest importer as a distribution hub for sub-Saharan Africa? Jeez. Super eye-opening, thanks for posting.
posted by scruffy-looking nerfherder at 8:52 PM on May 22, 2018