The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has announced plans to totally ban the production of alcohol drinks in sachets by 2023/2024.
While making the disclosure to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, September 30, 2020, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said that the banning of the product would be done in phases.
The NAFDAC boss revealed that alcoholic drinks in sachets is expected to be phased out by the end of 2023 or first week of 2024 when it would no longer exist in the society.
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Adeyeye had earlier expressed worry over the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small volume glass and Poly-Ethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles. She also complained about the negative effects of irresponsible alcohol consumption on public health and on the safety and the security of the public.
She also pointed out that the concern also relates to the fact that alcohol is also a toxic and psychoactive substance with dependence producing properties.
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According to her, uncontrolled access and availability of high concentration alcohol in sachet and small volume PET or glass bottles has been put forward as a factor contributing to substance and alcohol abuse in Nigeria with its negative impact on the society.
She said the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that alcohol consumption contributes to three million deaths each year globally as well as to the disabilities and poor health of millions of people.
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Adeyeye said, “NAFDAC and the Federal Ministry of Health met on this issue with the distillers’ association, a couple of days ago. We let them know that they can think of business because there is nothing wrong about that.
“NAFDAC and Federal Ministry of Heath also have to think about the society, we had series of meetings at the ministry. We all agreed that we are going to carry out the ban in phases,” she said.
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The NAFDAC boss urged the distillers’ association to reduce the level of alcohol drinks in sachets, pending the time, the deadline will elapse. She said they have agreed to cooperate with them by doing that.
Adeyeye said the distillers’ association had also been tasked to run a social responsibility campaign against underage drinking, adding that a jingle would soon be on air in this regard.