The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned the Nigerian Public to desist from purchasing and consuming chemical fruits and non-retail packed items from the market to prevent the risk of taking contaminated, substandard, expired, and adulterated food/ drugs fraud with grave health implications.
The Director General of the agency, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye FAS, stated this while flagging off the one-day
North Central Zone NAFDAC Media Sensitisation Workshop on Dangers of Drug Hawking and Ripening of Fruits With Calcium Carbide in Nasarawa state, Organized for Association of Nigerian Health Journalists on Monday in Lafia.
The DG said NAFDAC has noticed the dangerous practice of the sale and consumption of fruits artificially ripened with calcium carbide as well as the illegal hawking of drugs in the open market, hence the urgent need for sensitization.
Represented by the Director of Chemical Evaluation and Research, Dr. Leonard Omokpariola, the Director General noted that many drug hawkers 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.
She explained that most of the drugs sold by the illiterates and semi-literate drug hawkers were counterfeit, substandard, or expired and, therefore, did not meet regulated medicines’ quality, safety, and efficacy requirements.
Professor Adeyeye added that Prescription drugs are also sold by itinerant drug hawkers who also hold consultations, recommend, and prescribe medicines to their gullible “patients.”
She also 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. Additionally, drug hawkers constitute a serious threat to national security.
The NAFDAC boss warned that any drug hawker arrested by NAFDAC will be prosecuted and face a jail term, saying the enforcement officers of the agency were currently carrying out a synchronized nationwide operation, adding that no offender will be spared from facing the full wrath of the Law
While soliciting the cooperation and support of all other Law Enforcement Agencies, Nigerian Journalists, and well-meaning Nigerians in riding the country of the harmful and shameful practice, she said NAFDAC will constantly engage the mass media as the agency strives to bring down to the grassroots level positive impacts of their regulatory activities.
“The public is advised 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.
“It is my candid opinion that a sensitization workshop of this nature is a train the trainers’ program with the great expectation that participants will assume the role of champions in the vanguard of the campaign against drug hawking and the use of calcium carbide to ripen fruits.
“The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has noticed the dangerous practice of sale and consumption of fruits artificially ripened with calcium carbide as well as illegal hawking of drugs in the open market.
“Drugs are sensitive life-saving commodities which should not be sold on the streets/motor parks or open markets just like any other article of trade. I wish to warn you that any Drug Hawker arrested by NAFDAC will be prosecuted and face a jail term, and our Enforcement Officers are currently carrying out synchronized nationwide operations.
“No offender will be spared from facing the full wrath of the Law. In this regard, we solicit the cooperation and support of all other Law Enforcement Agencies, Nigerian Journalists, and well-meaning Nigerians in riding the country of these harmful and shameful practices,” Professor Adeyeye said.
She warned Nigerians not to engage in taking artificial ripening on fruits, saying it poses grave health challenges.
“Effect of chemically ripening fruits quality include but not limited to:
Considerable loss of properties such as color, taste, and feel, and such practice does not give the natural aroma and flavor to the fruits.
“These fruits do not possess uniform color, are less juicy than when ripened naturally, and have comparatively shorter shelf life.
“Calcium Carbide, when sprayed with water, reacts chemically to produce acetylene, which acts like ethylene and ripens fruits by a similar process.
“Calcium carbide generally contains impurities such as arsenic, lead particles, phosphorus, etc., that pose several very serious health hazards.
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 ulcers,s and so forth. Higher exposure may cause undesired lung fluid build-up (pulmonary edema).
“Consuming artificially ripened fruits could result in sleeping disorders, mouth ulcers, skin rashes, kidney problems, and possibly even cancer.
“Other symptoms of poisoning include diarrhea (with or without blood), burning or tingling sensation in abdomen and chest, difficulty in swallowing, irritation in eyes/skin, sore throat, cough, shortness in breathing, numbness,” the NAFDAC boss warned.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Nasarawa state director of the agency, Pharmacist Omoyeni Babatulunji, appreciated the Association of Nigerian Health Journalists for partnering with NAFDAC, saying the media as a versatile communication tool has helped in the delivery of information to aid behavioral change and development.
The event’s high point, which brought journalists from North Central Nigeria to Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital, was a paper presentation from 5 resource persons.
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