The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) begins to effect the ban on the production of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small bottles below 200ml, the Director-General of the agency, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, confirmed at a news conference on Monday, 5th February 2024, in Abuja.
Adeyeye said it was necessary to kick off the ban as it poses a significant threat because of ease of access and consumption by youths in such containers at an affordable cost.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) have emphasised policy-makers to regulate the marketing of alcoholic beverages to young people, with the goal of controlling and restricting the availability of the products, adverse negative impact on the younger generation, who should be safeguarded by necessary regulations.
According to her, the WHO had established that children who consume alcohol are more likely to use drugs, get bad grades, suffer injury or death, engage in risky sexual activity, contribute to decisions increasing the chamces of gender-based violence, make bad decisions, have health challenges and certaim social problems.
The NAFDAC boss recalled that the agency in January 2022, suspended the registration of alcoholic beverages in sachet and small volume PET and Glass bottles below 200ml.
She further explained that harmful consumption of alcohol was being linked to more than 200 health conditions including infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, and non-communicable conditions such as liver cirrhosis and cancer.
