Tramadol is a painkiller, an opioid that is drug-rated. The drug began to spread among young drug users in southern Sweden about ten years ago. Now tramadol is used by addicts throughout the country and among criminals the drug is in demand.

- We have to remove the harmless stamp on tramadol. It is an opioid that produces the same serious consequences as other opioids. We have to spread the knowledge and take this seriously, says Alexander Holmstedt, psychiatry nurse at Maria Malmö, an outpatient clinic for young addicts aged 16-25.

Low debut age for tramadol

Alexander Holmstedt notes that tramadol is the biggest problem drug after cannabis and that its debut age is low, just over 16.5 years.

The report is now complete and the authors find that young people taking tramadol are more criminally charged compared to the others who have been treated at Maria Malmö.

Hear Holmstedt explain what he thinks it depends on in the clip above.

34 young people have been included in the project. Most have stated that they began to abuse tramadol in social contexts, especially during high school.