NAFDAC start Implementation of ban on alcoholic drinks in sachets

The ban on alcoholic drinks in sachets, PET, and glass bottles of 200ml and below has been enforced by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. The agency's Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, announced this on Monday at a media briefing in Abuja.

She said that NAFDAC had not registered any alcoholic beverage in these categories as of January 31, 2024, and that the agency had begun enforcement actions to implement the policy. She said that the deadline for manufacturers to sell off all alcoholic drinks in this category was January 31, 2024, and that the agency started nationwide enforcement actions on February 1, 2024 to implement the new policy.

She revealed that some manufacturers of the banned products were still making the products, and had both finished products and packaging materials of the products in their possession. She said that this was unacceptable and a blatant violation of the laws of Nigeria. She said that NAFDAC would use all legal means, including prosecution, to address the issue.

She urged all owners of alcohol in sachets, PET and glass bottles, empty sachets, PET bottles, empty glass bottles, and other packaging materials of these banned products to report to the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate of NAFDAC for hand-over of same to NAFDAC for destruction, to avoid harsher measures including prosecution

She said that this decision was based on the recommendation of a high-powered committee of the Federal Ministry of Health and NAFDAC, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, and the Industry represented by the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers, Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria, in December 2018.

She said that as a result of the decision reached at the end of the committee meeting, producers of alcohol in sachets and small volume agreed to reduce the production by five per cent with effect from January 31, 2022, while ensuring the product is completely phased out in the country by January 31, 2024.

She said that NAFDAC ensured that the validity of renewal of already registered alcoholic products in the affected category did not exceed the year 2024.

She said that NAFDAC was firmly committed to the strict implementation of the regulations and regulatory measures to protect the health of Nigerians, especially the vulnerable youth, from the dangers of irresponsible consumption of alcohol.

She warned that the people most at risk of the negative effects of consumption of the banned pack sizes of alcoholic beverages are the under-aged, commercial vehicle drivers and riders.

She said that the World Health Organisation had 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 that the WHO had also stated that harmful consumption of alcohol was linked to more than 200 health conditions including infectious diseases – Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS; and non-communicable conditions- liver cirrhosis and different types of cancer. It was also associated with social problems, such as alcohol addiction and gender-based violence.

She said that to curb the menace of abuse of alcohol, WHO recommended some actions and strategies to policymakers that had proven to be effective and cost-effective, which includes regulating the marketing of alcoholic beverages, and regulating and restricting the availability of alcohol.