NAFDAC, DIBAN kick against alcohol consumption by minors

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has stressed the need for distillers and blenders of alcohol in the country to control the distribution of drinks to address the public health concerns resulting from under-aged drinking and excessive alcohol consumption.

Director-General, NAFDAC, Prof. Christianah Adeyeye, stated this yesterday in Lagos at the kick-off of the second phase of the campaign against irresponsible and under-age drinking by Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN).

Prof. Adeyeye, who was represented by the Director, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Mr. Sherif Olagunju, said the NAFDAC Act empowered the agency, among other functions, to regulate the import, export, manufacture, advertisement, distribution, sale and use of foods, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water and chemicals.

According to Olagunju, the problems caused by under-aged drinking in the society cannot be over emphasised, hence the need for continuous advocacy and campaign by all stakeholders.

He said the advocacy was important because alcohol use by children, adolescents and young adults under the legal drinking age of 18 years resulted in tragedies.

Alcohol is a factor in many crimes such as homicides, suicides, road accidents and other social vices, which have become a major national concern.

Earlier in his remarks, chairman, DIBAN, Patrick Anegbe, said the sub-group of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) would be leveraging on NAFDAC’s TV programme, ‘NAFDAC and Your Health’, to promote the campaign using TV commercials.

This partnership, according to him, will involve the sponsorship of educational materials.

Anegbe said the industry would continue to work in collaboration with all regulatory agencies, the media, and indeed all our stakeholders to champion initiatives which would cause Nigerians to imbibe responsible drinking culture while having zero tolerance for under-age drinking.