The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reiterated that despite protests in some quarters, it has resolved to continue enforcing the ban on sachet and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic drinks.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, stated this in a chat with journalists, on Friday, after manufacturers and union members staged a protest at the agency’s Lagos office.
The protesters carried placards, appealing to the Federal Government to halt NAFDAC’s enforcement of the ban on sachet and small-sized alcoholic beverages.
Adeyeye said the enforcement was firmly rooted in law, maintaining that only a change in legislation could compel the agency to suspend the action.
She insisted that the concerns raised by the protesters would not deter NAFDAC from discharging its statutory duties.
“We made it clear to them that the enforcement will continue because it is backed by law.
“The legislature makes the laws and mandates us to regulate the manufacture, importation, distribution, sale and use of alcohol.
“If the law changes and directs us not to regulate alcohol, then we will stop. Only the law can stop us from doing our duties,” she asserted
The NAFDAC DG further observed that the ban aligns with global public health standards and Sustainable Development Goal 3.5.
The goal targets the reduction of harmful alcohol consumption.
“The manufacturers were granted a five-year moratorium.“Along with an additional one-year extension, to adjust their production processes and business plans.
The NAFDAC boss warned that easy access to alcohol by children could fuel substance abuse and result in long-term health consequences.
She also cautioned that excessive alcohol consumption among adults could lead to liver damage and other serious health challenges.
Adeyeye urged parents to closely monitor their children and called on community and religious leaders to support NAFDAC’s public health advocacy.
“No Nigerian has the right to make money at the expense of another person’s health,” she said.
