Emmanuel Nlewedum, Port Harcourt
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has commenced clampdown on the distribution and sales of alcoholic drinks in sachets, small volume Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles below 200ml.
NAFDAC South South Zonal Director, Oligbu Chukwuma while addressing Journalists during the enforcement at Rumuokoro Market and Eligbolo axis of Obio/Akpor local government area of Rivers State, said the agency had placed a ban on production, distribution and sales of sachet alcoholic drinks and PET bottles below 200ml in the country five years ago, but regretted that the products still remain on display in shops, major markets and motor parks across Nigeria.
He said despite the order, some companies did not comply as they continued to manufacture 30ml, 35ml, 100ml and 120ml products with alcohol volume above the 30 per cent mandated by NAFDAC.
Our Correspondent reports that some of the shops visited still had the banned products in large quantities, with the distributors and vendors claiming they were aware of the ban but that they later received circular to continue with the sales of the products till further notice.
The distributors who engaged the Zonal Director and the enforcement team in a heated altercation while resisting them from doing their job, agitated that for the ban on sachet alcoholic drinks and PET bottles below 200ml to be effective, the agency must first stop the manufacturers from production, before enforcing the ban on them and consumers.
But, the NAFDAC Director, Chukwuma clarified that the agency never sent any reversal signal halting the ban, instead, the ban was reactivated after a five year window period given to stakeholders concerned in the industry.
He stressed that they were at the Rumuokoro Market and other areas of the state 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: “NAFDAC said nobody should produce these packet sizes because it wants to discourage the abuse of alcoholic substances.
“The issue has been on for a very long time, after the ban in 2018, there was a five year window period given to the stakeholders to be able to cease production. And that five years period expired by January 31st, 2024.
“On the 1st of February, 2024, the DG was on air re-announcing the ban on alcoholic beverages in sachet and PET bottles. The stakeholders concerned claimed ignorant, the directive to enforce the ban was issued, so, we are here to activate it, and remind them that the ban is still active.
“We are here on assignment to mop up alcoholic beverages in sachet, PET bottles and glasses of less than 200ml, and in the cause of our raid today, we stumbled into a warehouse where they have a very large stock of these banned alcoholic beverages.
“Though they refused to cooperate with us, they were volatile on us, trying to resist us, but we are not prepared to go into war with them, we have done the needful by placing a hold on them.”
He advised the vendors to stop patronising the producers and manufacturers of the banned alcoholic beverages in order not to count loss, as the agency will be preparing for a next line of action.
He said, “They should stop patronising them, if they don’t buy, they will stop. The affordability of the drinks is what causes the abuse because underage people can easily afford it, making them engage in several social vices.”
