NAFDAC Set To Regulate Circulation of Alcoholic Drinks

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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it will put necessary measures in place to control influx of unregistered alcoholic drinks into Nigerian markets.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, stated this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday. “Efforts are being made by NAFDAC to control such products by holding back on further registration of alcohol in such packaging,’’ she said.

Prof.  Adeyeye explained that this was part of her submissions at the just concluded 41st session of Codex Alimentarious Commission (CAC) in Rome, Italy.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) is an intergovernmental body with over 180 members, within the framework of the Joint Food Standards Programme established by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

It was established to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade. It promotes coordination of all food standards work undertaken by international governmental and non-governmental organisations.

“Alcohol is available in sachets in Nigeria and these products are dangerous to children due to ease of accessibility.

“Harmful use of alcohol is a major obstacle to sustainable development. It has an impact on the health and well-being of the drinkers and their friends, family, colleagues. And it can damage the social and economic fabric of the society.”

The NAFDAC boss stated that harmful use of alcohol was a causal factor in more than 200 diseases and injury conditions affecting maternal health and child development.

According to her, it is also the cause of some non-communicable diseases and conditions such as cancer, adding that a drunkard could easily turn violent on the road and cause an accident.

The NAFDAC boss explained that there was the tendency for drunkards to engage in unprotected sexual activities which could predispose him or her to infectious diseases such as TB and HIV/AIDS.

Prof.  Adeyeye described Codex Alimentarius as a collection of internationally adopted food standards and related texts presented in a uniform manner.

She said that these food standards and related texts were aimed at protecting consumers’ health and ensuring fair practices in the food trade.

“This is consistent with the mandate of NAFDAC which include; to regulate and control importation, exportation, manufacture, advertisement, distribution, sale and use of food among others.”

(NAN)