Teens and young adults who buy alcoholic drinks in tiny sachets or PET bottles put themselves at danger, according to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
Violence and injuries might result from underage drinking, according to NAFDAC. The organization highlighted that alcohol is a major factor in teen suicides, homicides, and vehicular accidents.
According to the organization, alcohol is also a key factor in the country’s daily spate of violent crimes, including kidnappings, banditry, and terrorism.
According to the document, which outlined the risks involved, there is no reason to lift the prohibition on sachet alcohol and small PET bottle packs.
Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, Director-General of NAFDAC, said during a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday that alcohol consumption among young people is on the rise and poses a significant threat to Nigerian public health.
She made the claim that more youngsters drink because alcohol is easily accessible.
While 54.3% of kids and underage individuals get their hands on alcohol independently, 49.9% buy it from stores that offer drinks in sachets and PET bottles, according to research quoted by Prof. Adeyeye.
Liquor stores, restaurants, and supermarkets all have lower rates of underage drinkers, she said (15.4%, 12.6%, and 7.9%, respectively). Additionally, the statistics reveal that parties or social gatherings account for 45.9% of the alcohol acquired by minors under the legal drinking age, while 49.9% come from friends and family.
For their own consumption, 47.2% of youngsters and 48.8% of people under the age of 18 buy alcoholic beverages in sachets, 41.2% of youngsters and 47.2% of people under the age of 18 buy alcoholic beverages in plastic bottles, and 27.6% of people under the age of 18 buy alcoholic beverages in glass bottles.
According to her, out of all the states in Nigeria, the ones where people most often report buying drinks in sachets and PET bottles are Rivers (68.0%), Lagos (52.3%), and Kaduna (38.6%).
“The proportion of beverages purchased in individual servings is greater among men (51.4%) compared to women (41.5%), and it is more prevalent in rural regions (50.1%) compared to urban areas (45.3%),” she emphasised.
The majority of teenage drinkers (54.3%), according to Prof. Adeyeye, purchase their alcohol independently; 49.9% get it through friends or relatives; 45.9% get it at parties; and 21.7% receive it in their parents’ house.
She highlighted: “Among the minors and underage individuals who obtain alcohol for themselves, nearly half (47.2%) and nearly half (48.8%) get it in sachets, while nearly half (41.2% and 47.2%) get it in PET bottles, and nearly a quarter (27.6%) get it in glass bottles.”
The hippocampus, which is involved in remembering, and the prefrontal cortex, which aids in thinking and impulse control, are among the brain regions that can be damaged by drinking alcohol before the legal drinking age of 21, she said.
Learning, memory, and decision-making difficulties may develop over time as a result of this. Consumption of alcoholic beverages at a young age is associated with an increased risk of cancer, harm to the liver and kidneys, hypertension, hormonal imbalances, stunted growth, and other health problems. Depression, anxiety, and poor self-esteem are all made more likely by this. Developing an alcohol dependent is 41% more prevalent among youths who begin drinking before the age of 15.
Many tragic outcomes, including teen suicides, violent fatalities, and car accidents, can be attributed to alcohol. Unprotected sexual activity is also directly linked to it, which can cause STDs and unwanted pregnancies. Lowered grades, absenteeism, and reduced cognitive function are common outcomes of heavy drinking on campus.
According to NAFDAC, the Senate has warned them not to extend the current embargo any further and to crack down hard on sachet alcohol and alcohol in little PET bottles (<200 ml). Furthermore, the organization requested that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare back the prohibition’s enforcement.
The director general further stated that the group is requesting that the federal ministry of health and social welfare implement the National Alcohol Policy, which prohibits the sale of alcohol in sachets and small-volume containers (<200 ml).
“The Senate further urged the National Orientation Agency and NAFDAC to work together to increase nationwide awareness about the dangers of drinking alcohol from sachets and small bottles. Banning small pack sizes, like sachets and bottles under 200 ml, could help reduce underage drinking.”