By Adadareporters
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed two factories for manufacturing sachet and small-sized plastic alcoholic beverages in Enugu State.
The raid, which took place for two days, was carried out at Nsukka and Enugu metropolis. Four factories were raided at Nsukka while three factories were raided in Enugu.
Nsukka Gets Modern Heart Disease Prevention and Training Centre
The leader of the NAFDAC enforcement team, Mr Wafar Elam, bemoaned negative effects of uncontrollled alcoholic beverage consumption on the health, safety and security of the public.
He said the affordability of small alcoholic beverages and their pocket-size nature make some school children abuse them, adding that they could lead to renal failure and other sorts of cancer as well as respiratory infections.
Quoting him, “We are here to take an action and enforce the ban on the production of alcoholic drinks in sachets, small volumes of plastic and glass bottles below 200 milliliters.
“During the raid, it was discovered that some factories had finished products, while others still have packaging materials in their possession.”
Elam said that the raid followed the expiration of the deadline earlier given by NAFDAC for the ban on the production of alcoholic drinks in sachets, small volume glasses and bottles across the country.
According to him, “The body had in 2018 directed the stoppage of production or sale of all alcoholic drinks in sachets, small volume glasses and bottles by the end of December 2023.
“This followed the recommendation of a committee comprising the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and Industry in December 2018.
“The committee premised their arguments on the fact that the rate at which the underage population has access to alcohol was quite alarming because the manufacturers of the products make it accessible and affordable to everyone.
“It argued that due to its availability in sachets, many people are exposed to drinking too much alcoholic beverage at an early stage in life. As a result, underage drinking has become a major public health problem in the country.”
