The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has called on the media to support the fight against drug hawking as they vowed to stamp out drug hawking in the southeast and Nigeria at large describing them as merchants of death.
Director General of the Agency, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this during a one-day media sensitisation workshop on ‘Dangers of Drug Hawking and Ripening of fruits with Calcium Carbide’ organised by the Association of Nigeria Health Journalists in Awka, Anambra State.
The training was attended by Journalists from Ebonyi, Anambra, Enugu and Asaba and other resource persons on food and drug dealers.
According to the DG of the agency, drug hawkers are the major suppliers of hard drugs to armed bandits, insurgents, kidnappers and other criminal elements.
Adeyeye, represented by the Agency’s Director of Evaluation and Research, Dr Leonard Omokpariola, described drug hawking as a menace that poses a serious challenge to the healthcare delivery system in the country.
She expressed NAFDAC’s determination to totally eradicate the illicit trade and solicited the media’s assistance in the fight.
She said: “Drug hawkers are also the major distributors and suppliers of narcotic medicines to criminal networks such as armed bandits, insurgents, kidnappers and armed robbers. Drug hawkers constitute a serious threat to our national security.
“Many drug Hhawkers are knowingly or unknowingly merchants of death who expose essential and life-saving medicines to the vagaries of inclement weather which degrade the active ingredients of the medicine and turn them to poisons thus endangering human lives.
“Most of the drugs sold by the illiterate and semi-literate drug hawkers are counterfeit, substandard or expired, and therefore do not meet the quality, safety and efficacy requirement of regulated medicines.
“Prescription drugs are also sold by the itinerant drug hawkers who also hold a consultation, recommend and prescribe medicines to their gullible patients,” she said.
Adeyeye, however, advised the general public not to buy dangerous non- retailed packed items from the market to prevent the risk of taking contaminated, substandard, expired and adulterated food or food fraud with grave health implications.
The DG of the agency also noticed the dangerous practice of the sale and consumption of fruits artificially ripened with calcium carbide. She then warned against the consumption of fruits ripened with dangerous chemicals such as calcium carbide.
She also noted that the Agency’s enforcement officers are currently carrying out synchronized nationwide operations adding that no offender will be spared from facing the full wrath of the Law.
“Consumption of fruits containing these impurities may cause cancer, heart, kidney and liver failure. They may also cause frequent thirst, irritation in the mouth and nose, weakness, permanent skin damage, difficulty in swallowing, vomiting, skin ulcer and so forth.
“The impurities are hazardous to pregnant women and children and may lead to headache, dizziness, mood disturbances, mental confusion, memory loss, cerebral oedema (swelling in the brain caused by excessive fluids), sleepiness, seizure, etc.
“Consuming such artificially ripened fruits could result in sleeping disorders, mouth ulcers, skin rashes, kidney problems and possibly even cancer”, she added.
The Journalists were trained on the dangers of artificially ripening fruits with calcium carbides by the Director of Chemical Evaluation and Research, Dr Leonard Omokpariola, and Food Safety Concerns: Unethical Practices by Director of Food Safety Applied Nutrition Mrs Eva Edward.
The Journalists were also trained on’ The Menace of Drug Hawking in Nigeria by Director of Investigation and Enforcement’ by Mr Francis Ononiwu, ‘Good Distribution Practices and Surveillance Activities Towards Prevention and Curbing of Substandard and Falsified Medicines in Nigeria’ by Deputy Director In charge Pharm. ‘Bitrus Fraden and Influence of Mass Media Campaign on Health Behavioral Change’ by Director Public Affairs Mrs. Christianah Obiazikwor.
Meanwhile, the Agency’s late former DG, Dora Akunyili, who hailed from the State, reverberated at the event as various speakers praised her selfless efforts in the fight against fake drugs in the country.
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