The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) yesterday commenced a nationwide clampdown on the production of alcoholic drinks in sachets, small-volume Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) and glass bottles below 200ml.
The agency had stopped registration of new drinks that are below 200ml and contain above 30 per cent alcohol following the recommendation of a committee of the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) in December 2018.
Despite the order, some companies did not comply as they continued to manufacture 30ml, 35ml, 100ml and 120ml products with an alcohol volume of 43 per cent, against the 30 per cent mandated by NAFDAC.
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Assistant Director, Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, NAFDAC, Kunle Ojo, who led the team, said the operation was to effect the ban, in line with the Federal Government’s bid to stem the tide of alcohol abuse, especially by persons below the age of 18 years.
He said: “From what we have found here, today, we discovered that these companies are still producing 100ml and 30ml items and the window for this production expires from January 2024.
“The agency said nobody should produce these packet sizes because it wants to discourage the abuse of alcoholic substances.
“The affordability of the drinks is what causes the abuse because underage people can easily afford it; I mean some students in secondary school, making them engage in several social vices.”
