The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has maintain stand on ban and clearly stated that there will be no reversal of the prohibition on the importation, production, distribution, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets, PET containers, and glass bottles with a capacity of 200ml and below.
This NAFDAC disclosed after its officials receives assault from hooligans, they remains resolute in their decision to prohibit the sale of sachet alcohol, their officials have recently been assaulted by hooligans.
However, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, maintained that the prohibition was in the best interest of Nigerians and to safeguard lives of the youth which are the future generation of Nigeria.
Hear her, “The alcoholic content in sachet or PET bottles less than 200ml is 30 per cent. Beer has four to eight per cent alcohol. The Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers, and Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria signed an agreement with the Ministry of Health and NAFDAC in December 2018 that they will phase out production of alcohol in sachet and PET bottles less than 200 ml by January 31, 2024. The agreement document is available. A five-year phase-out notice should be sufficient.
“They say it’s going to lead to loss of jobs, but it can lead to loss of lives as well. So, which is more important? We are not going back (on the ban). We are doing this to save the lives of Nigerians, and commuters.
“The schoolchildren buy it and put it in their bags, so we are doing it to protect the children because they can’t take responsibility for themselves; so the leaders and adults need to take responsibility for them. Are we going to kill our children because the economy is bad?”