Timothy Ajiboye
3 September 2008
Lokoja — DIRECTOR - General of the National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Dora Akunyili has raised alarm over the consumption of local gin also called "Ogogoro" among youths.
She also said that the agency has destroyed counterfeit and substandard products valued at over N24.25 billion within the last seven years.
Mrs. Akunyili stated in Lokoja recently during the agency's consumer education and awareness campaign programme, stressing that the campaign was necessitated by reports of increasing attacks and harassment of NAFDAC of officers carrying out routine enforcement activities particularly in the local government and villages.
According to her, "Ogogoro" or "Kaikai" is distilled from industrial alcohol and is dangerous to health which can result to instant death.
"In June 2008, 22 people died in Ilaje community in Aja Local government area of Lagos State following the consumption of this mixture".
"It was also revealed that most of these people got blind before their eventual death," she said.
She explained that laboratory reports indicated that Ogogoro contains high concentration of methanol in excess of 20g/1001 and contaminants which include toluene and benzene.
"These chemical contaminants can cause severe organ damage, remember, for each reported case many others must have died unreported," Akunyili added.
The NAFDAC boss equally enjoined pregnant women and children to stop drinking energy drinks, stressing that it contains high sugar content including caffeine and other harsh stimulants such as guarana.
In his remark, Governor Ibrahim Idris commended the NAFDAC boss for her effort at eradicating fake drugs in the country.
He enjoined all stakeholders to support the activities of NAFDAC in its task of checkmating the use of fake drugs and counselled youths to stop consuming local gin and other hard drugs for their own benefit.
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