FG, HAS FORMALLY FLAGGED OFF A NATIONWIDE PUBLIC ENLIGHTENMENT CAMPAIGN ON THE BAN OF ALCOHOL DRINKS PACKAGED IN SACHETS, SMALL PET AND GLASS BOTTLES BELOW 200 MILLILITRES. (PHOTO).

The Federal Government today Tuesday, has formally flagged off a nationwide  public enlightenment campaign on the ban of alcohol drinks packaged in sachets, small PET and glass bottles below 200 millilitres.

There was a  joint press conference held in Abuja which was organised by the National Orientation Agency in collaboration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

Speaking at the briefing, NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, said that the enforcement follows years of consultations, extensions, and alarming survey findings on alcohol consumption among minors.

Adeyeye highlighted that discussions around regulating high concentration alcohol in sachets were  dated back to 2018, when industry groups raised concerns about the impact on their businesses.

According to Adeyeye, the former Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, granted the trade groups a five-year moratorium to restructure their operations, which elapsed in February 2024, prompting NAFDAC to begin enforcement in line with its statutory mandate.

Stating that further delays followed until December 2024, when the Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Pate, granted an additional one-year extension. That Senate later directed the agency to resume strict enforcement.

Central to the renewed enforcement, Adeyeye said, were findings from national surveys assessing the impact of sachet alcohol on underage Nigerians.

The Director General added that children as young as nine years old were found to consume alcohol in the survey, with binge drinking notably reported in some states.Noting  the health implications, she said underage drinking poses grave risks.