… 24% Of Minors Drink Alcohol Daily, Nationwide Survey Reveals
… Agency Blames Sachets, Small Bottles For Easy Youth Access
…54% Of Minors Purchase Drinks Themselves, NAFDAC Reports
Daud Olatunji
Rivers and Lagos states have emerged as Nigeria’s hotspots for underage alcohol consumption, particularly drinks sold in sachets and small plastic bottles, a nationwide survey by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has revealed.
The findings, released on Tuesday, showed that more than half of Nigerian minors and underage youths now buy alcohol for themselves, raising fresh concerns about a growing public health crisis and weak regulation of alcohol retailing.
The survey, titled “Underage Drinking and Abuse of Alcohol: Access to Alcohol and Frequency of Consumption,” was conducted by Research and Data Solutions Ltd, Abuja, between June and August 2021, in collaboration with the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria, and endorsed by NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye.
Presenting the report, Adeyeye described alcohol as “one of the most widely used substances of abuse among youths,” warning that the widespread availability of cheap, small and concealable alcohol packs was fuelling consumption among children.
“The availability and easy access to alcohol have been identified as a contributory factor to the increasing alcohol consumption among minors,” she said.
According to the study, which surveyed 1,788 respondents across six states representing Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, 54.3 per cent of minors and underaged respondents purchased alcohol by themselves, while 49.9 per cent obtained drinks from friends and relatives.
Another 45.9 per cent accessed alcohol at social gatherings, and 21.7 per cent from parents’ homes.
The report found that sachets and polyethylene terephthalate bottles were the most common forms of alcohol consumed by children and adolescents.
Rivers State recorded the highest rates, with 68 per cent consuming sachet alcohol and 64.5 per cent drinking from PET bottles. Lagos followed with 52.3 per cent and 47.7 per cent respectively, while Kaduna recorded 38.6 per cent sachet and 28.4 per cent PET bottle consumption.
“The proportion of drinks procured in sachets was higher among males (51.4 per cent) compared to females (41.5 per cent), and more in rural (50.1 per cent) compared to urban (45.3 per cent) locations,” the report stated.
Among minors and underaged respondents who bought alcohol themselves, 47.2 per cent of minors and 48.8 per cent of underaged youths procured drinks in sachets, while 41.2 per cent of minors and 47.2 per cent of underaged respondents bought PET bottles.
More troubling, the survey revealed disturbing drinking patterns among children. While 63.2 per cent of minors and 54 per cent of underaged youths described themselves as occasional drinkers, 24 per cent of respondents admitted to drinking alcohol daily, while 11 per cent drank at least once a week.
Among children below 13 years, 9.3 per cent reported daily alcohol consumption.
NAFDAC blamed the trend largely on the proliferation of small, cheap and easily concealable alcohol packs, warning that they make it difficult to restrict sales to minors.
“Access to alcohol by children can be limited if pack sizes that can be easily concealed are not available,” Adeyeye said, adding that “a ban on small pack sizes, including sachets and bottles below 200 millilitres, can reduce the menace of underage drinking.”
The agency also called on parents, teachers, religious leaders and community stakeholders to take collective responsibility in tackling the problem.
“Consumption of alcohol by children should raise alarm for parents, teachers, religious leaders and the community at large,” the report stated.
NAFDAC stressed that the findings highlight the urgent need for tougher policy enforcement, stronger regulation of alcohol packaging and retailing, and sustained public awareness campaigns to curb underage drinking in both urban and rural communities across the country.
'
'Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
