FG begins enforcement of ban on sale of sachet alcohol

Francis Ikuerowo Health & Lifestyle 06/02/2024

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has begun the enforcement of the ban on the importation, manufacture, distribution, sale and use of alcoholic beverages in sachets, PET and glass bottles of 200ml and below.

The Director General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, stated this yesterday while addressing newsmen in Abuja.

News Round The clock reported that the agency in January 2022 put a ban on the registration of alcoholic beverages in sachet and small volume PET and glass bottles below 200ml.

The DG also stated that as of January 31, 2024, there was no alcoholic beverage in these categories that was registered by NAFDAC.

She said, “I also want to inform you that the agency has started enforcement actions on the implementation of this policy.”

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The window period given to manufacturers by NAFDAC to sell off all alcoholic drinks in this category elapsed on the 31st of January 2024.

“To this end, on the first day, after the elapse of the window period, the agency commenced nationwide enforcement actions on the 1st of February 2024 to enforce the implementation of the new policy. The manufacturers and printers of labels and packaging materials were the initial targets.”

The director general said alcoholic drinks in sachets, PET and glass bottles are pocket-friendly and can easily be carried around, by the under-aged (including primary and secondary school children) without notice.

“It is easily affordable and comes in handy for commercial bus drivers, keke riders, okada riders, etc who after taking them constitute a nuisance to the society,” she said.

Prof. Adeyeye said the negative impact of the harmful consumption of alcohol which is occasioned by its being economical, easily accessible and miniature in nature, prompted NAFDAC to take the bold step of banning it, in order “to save our children and to protect the health of the larger society”.

She said the people who are mostly at risk of the negative effects of consumption of the banned pack sizes of alcoholic beverages are the under-aged and commercial vehicle drivers and riders.

In addition, she said the World Health Organization (WHO) has established that children who drink alcohol are more likely to use drugs, get bad grades, suffer injury or death, engage in risky sexual activity, make bad decisions and have health problems.

She said in the course of the enforcement actions, it was discovered that some manufacturers of these banned products were still in production of the products and still had stacks of both finished products and packaging materials of the products in their possession.