By Akinwale Kasali
For alcohol consumers, sachet alcoholic drinks are easily accessible and affordable.
But this could become out of the reach following the ban on sachet alcoholic drinks by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC.
With the directive from NAFDAC that the registration of alcohol in sachets, small volume PET and glass bottles below 200 millilitres should be banned, companies producing these alcoholic products will be greatly affected. Businesses would crumble.
The Director-General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, in a statement said the registration of new alcoholic drinks in sachet and small volume PET and glass bottles above 30 per cent Alcohol by Volume (ABV) has been banned by NAFDAC, following the recommendation of a high powered committee of the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC and Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and Industry in December 2018.
Other members of the Committee are the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), and Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN).
According to the NAFDAC boss, the Agency will ensure that the validity of renewal of already registered alcoholic products in the affected category does not exceed the year 2024.
She explained that manufacturers of low volume alcohol beverages (200ml) with satisfactory laboratory reports already submitted to NAFDAC for registration before the decision, have been directed to reformulate their products to stipulated standards free of charge.
She said: “Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria was also given a matching order to embark on intensive nation-wide sensitization campaigns against underage consumption of alcohol by adolescents below the age of 18 years in the bid to stem the tide of alcohol abuse in the country.
“Producers of alcohol in sachets and small volume agreed to reduce production by 50 per cent with effect from January 31st, 2022 while ensuring the products are completely phased out in the country by 31st January 2024.
The Agency is committed to the strict implementation of the regulations and regulatory measures towards safeguarding the health of Nigerians particularly the vulnerable youths against the dangers of reckless consumption of alcohol.”
The main aim of banning sachet alcoholic drinks by NAFDAC is due to the rate at which the underage population has access to alcohol, which is said to at an alarming rate because the manufacturers of this product make it accessible and affordable to everyone.
Femi Adefila, a Medical Doctor said the ban on sachet drinks will do the nation a lot of good that due to its availability in sachets, many young people experience the effects of drinking too much alcohol at an early stage in life. As a result, underage drinking has become a major public health problem in the country.
According to the NAFDAC DG, Uncontrolled access and availability of high concentration alcohol in small sachet and small volume PET or glass bottles have been a major factor contributing to substance abuse in Nigeria with its negative impacts on the society.
Ikenna Madueke, a social workers and influencer said that the Consumption of alcohol in high concentrations can have serious impacts on both the public and the young population’s health and safety.
He said that Young people under the influence of alcohol often engage in violent acts, lose control, behave inappropriately, and harm others. They get involved in criminal acts like robbery, rape, a conflict that could lead to murder. For instance, a student under the influence of alcohol can forcefully insist on having sex with another student.
“Young individuals often desire to live a better life and alcohol can intensify their feeling of desperation and cause them to steal, break the law, and get into trouble with the police. Alcohol abuse amongst the underage population can lead to an increase in the crime rate in a country and hereby deter the growth of the economy”.
Madueke said it necessary for NAFDAC to take such step in curtailing the excess and abuse of alcohol intake among the youths, especially sachet alcoholic drinks that is at the reach of this youngsters.
