The pain reliever tilidine has become a popular fashion drug, especially among younger people, in recent years.
The drug has an enormously high potential for addiction.
The abuse of the pain reliever tilidine has risen sharply in recent years, especially among young people.
The drug is highly addictive and can become addicting in a short time *.
What is Tilidine and how can its popularity be explained?
The consumption of the drug tilidine among young people has increased enormously in recent years.
This is the result of research by the reporters from STRG_F (via tagesschau.de).
According to this, over three million daily doses would have been prescribed in Germany last year, while in 2017 it was just 100,000.
An increase is particularly noticeable in the group of 15 to 20 year olds.
Health expert Professor Gerd Glaeseke from the University of Bremen speaks of a "statistical outlier" that is particularly noticeable. But what exactly is tilidine and how does this dramatic increase in prescriptions come about?
What is tilidine?
Tilidine is a
pain reliever
and what is known as an opioid.
It
requires a prescription
and is only available with a prescription.
The drug is actually prescribed to people who complain of pain, such as cancer patients or people who have recently undergone knee or hip surgery.
Tilidine is available as tablets and drops.
What does Tilidine do?
The main purpose of Tilidine is
to relieve pain
.
Opposite the picture, Doctor Andreas Jähne, specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy at the Oberberg Fachklinik Rhein-Jura in Bad Säckingen, explains that the drug
triggers
a
sense of well-being
and is
euphoric and disinhibiting
in people who have no physical complaints
.
Since tilidine unfolds directly in the brain, the drug works very quickly and strongly.
How dangerous is tilidine?
In order for these feelings to be evoked, the dose must be increased steadily.
For this reason, the potential for addiction and the risk of becoming dependent is very high - especially for young people under the age of 20 whose brains are not yet fully developed.
Therefore, the drug is considered extremely dangerous - it is
even compared to heroin
.
According to Doctor Jähne, long-term side effects can occur, including depression, weight loss, insomnia and impotence.
In combination with other drugs or alcohol it can also
respiratory arrest
occur
.
Also read
: Fewer and fewer people smoke - young people are resorting to this substitute drug.
How does the increase in Tildin consumption come about?
Professor Glaeske of the University of Bremen is convinced that the high increase indicates improper use, because young men in particular are "very willing to take risks with using or trying substances".
However, he is unclear how these doctors can get them to prescribe Tilidine.
The drug has probably also
become known among young people
through the
German rap scene
.
For example, the rapper Capital Bra has addressed the drug in many songs and one song is even titled "Tilidin".
For the reporters from STRG_F, this is a very clear indication that there is a connection.
In an interview with the rapper, they confront him.
Capital Bra talks about his experiences and clearly warns against the abuse.
(ec) * merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen central editorial network.
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