Lift Ban on Production, Sale of Sachet Alcoholic Drinks, Reps tell NAFDAC

The House of Representatives on Thursday, called on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to immediately lift the ban placed on the production and sale of sachet alcoholic drinks and 200-ml pet bottles.

The resolution followed consideration of the report of the House Committee overseeing the activities of NAFDAC, which investigated the ban.

According to the report, the ban should be lifted immediately because the timing was inappropriate given the fact that the economy was struggling with staggering unemployment and soaring inflation, while the poverty level is on the increase with the paucity of forex to do business.

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The report said that the ban on sachet alcohol should be replaced with the establishment of licenced liquor stores/outlets in Local Government Areas across the country, making it unlawful to send underage persons to purchase alcoholic beverages.

The report also said the process of enforcement should be tightened, with increased monitoring and compliance checks by NAFDAC, FCCPC, and others to ensure strict product quality in terms of content and safety.

The report further said that producers of sachet alcohol should expose the dangers associated with the abuse of alcohol sachet products by boldly inscribing and enumerating the dangers on the packs, as in the case of tobacco.

According to the resolutions, government regulatory bodies should place more emphasis on regulation, monitoring, and enlightenment campaigns to educate stakeholders and the general public on the dangers of underage consumption of alcohol and its sales in motor parks.

It said an enlightenment campaign should be carried out in secondary schools across the country, as practiced by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), to educate students on the dangers and vices associated with the abuse of alcohol.

The lawmakers said parents, religious bodies, and Non -Governmental Organisation (NGOs) should be tasked with counselling their children or wards, especially the underage, on the dangers of alcohol consumption.

In addition, it said regulatory mechanisms should be strengthened to ensure enforcement and compliance; and (viii) encourage legislation promoting recycling materials for the green economy and minimising importation of raw materials used in producing pet bottles and sachets to conserve foreign exchange.