The enforcement of sachet alcohol ban

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has commenced the enforcement of the ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small plastic or glass bottles below 200 millilitres. The Senate had, last year, ordered the food and drug regulatory agency not to extend the December 31 deadline for the production of alcohol in the aforementioned packages. This followed a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong from Cross River South during a plenary session.

Five years have passed since the Federal Ministry of Health and Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), NAFDAC, and the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) signed a voluntary five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) to gradually phase out sachet and small-bottle alcoholic drinks. In 2024, NAFDAC began enforcement of the directive by sealing production chains of sachet alcohol and seizing the contraband products. But the manufacturers protested, citing job losses and economic strain. The Federal Government, therefore, granted a one-year moratorium to enable producers to exhaust the existing stock and transition to compliant packaging alternatives, following an appeal for time extension, which has expired since.

Speaking recently on the commencement of enforcement of the sachet alcohol ban, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye clarified that the agency did not shut down any alcohol-producing company but only prohibited the sale of alcohol in sachets and small containers, citing public health concerns. She maintained that the move was aimed at protecting children, adolescents and young adults from the harmful use of alcohol. According to her, “the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has resumed enforcement of the ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small-volume PET or glass bottles below 200ml, in line with a resolution of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Agency’s public health mandate.”

NAFDAC contended that the widespread availability of high-alcohol-content beverages in sachets and small containers had made alcohol cheap, easily accessible and easily concealable, contributing to rising cases of underage drinking, addiction, domestic violence, road accidents, school dropouts and other social vices. He stated that the warning labels, such as “Not for children” on sachets and small containers had proven ineffective due to societal realities. This is because many parents do not even know their children consume sachet alcohol, because the pack size is small, cheap and easily concealed.

The report that some students cannot sit for examinations without first taking sachet alcohol is shows the enormity of the challenge. The alcoholic content of these banned beverages are too high for schoolchildren. While an average beer bottle contains five per cent alcohol, most of these banned beverages contain between twelve and forty per cent alcohol. Producers of these illicit alcoholic brands must consider the health and future of these children over profit motive. Let the manufacturers of the sachet alcohol upgrade to acceptable measures and sizes. We believe that they can do so seamlessly.

The commencement of the enforcement of the sachet alcohol ban by NAFDC is commendable. It is a step in the right direction. It will save the health and future of those children and hooked to sachet alcohol. Therefore, the recent protest by the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria, Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress against the ban at the Lagos office of NAFDAC is regrettable. The allegation that the enforcement would displace at least 5.5 million Nigerians from their jobs fails to appreciate the harmful effects of sachet alcohol on children adolescents and women. While the loss of jobs and profit revenue is real, the health implication of sachet alcohol is also enormous. It should not be dismissed. Health experts have warned that sachet alcohol, with its high ethanol content, fuels addiction and health complications, even among pregnant women.

In Kenya and Uganda, similar bans have significantly reduced alcohol-related harm. Sachet and small-bottle alcohol have become the favourite of young people in Nigeria, who have no business with alcohol on age grounds.

Nigeria can no longer sit idly and sacrifice the future of its youths for the sake of revenue and profit. The harmful effects of sachet alcohol are too many to be ignored. Experts say high concentrations of ethanol and toxic substances, like heavy metals and methanol, can cause liver disease, cardiovascular problems, and cancers of the mouth and esophagus. Vulnerable youths should be made aware that the high potency of some sachet alcohols can lead to alcohol poisoning. It also causes neurological complications, low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety among chronic users. Pregnant women who are unaware of the health hazards of abusing alcohol expose their unborn children to many risks.

NAFDAC should not renege on its commitment to enforce the ban of sachet and small bottle alcohol. It should not be bullied to abandon its core mandate of safeguarding the health of Nigerians.  We strongly believe it would dissuade addicted youths from alcohol abuse. Minors who are given to consuming soft drinks have suddenly replaced the beverage with sachet and small bottle alcohol, which often cost less than soft drinks. This has led to addiction and negative lifestyles. Consumption of sachet alcohol has reportedly increased road accidents, violence, risky sexual behaviour, and poor academic performance.