NAFDAC considers ban on energy drinks

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control is contemplating new legislation to control the consumption of energy drinks nationwide, say officials. Ken Onu, senior regulatory officer at the technical service unit of the agency, said energy drinks were being sold without restriction at the moment, insisting the new bill NAFDAC wants will remove […]

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control is contemplating new legislation to control the consumption of energy drinks nationwide, say officials.

Ken Onu, senior regulatory officer at the technical service unit of the agency, said energy drinks were being sold without restriction at the moment, insisting the new bill NAFDAC wants will remove them from the reach of certain ages.
“There is a lot of campaign toward legalising some of these products so that a certain age bracket will not be exposed to them,” he said during a lecture to 14-18 year-olds at a youth camp organised by Church of Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Abuja.
Onu noted continued exposure of young people to banned substances, ranging from narcotics to analgesics, had dangers with enormous health, social and economic implications.
NAFDAC has mandate to issue permits for import and export, holds an approved list of dealers and distributors and grants authorisation for users, he said.
“We take it very personal, not just because it enables us to achieve our mandate, but we also enlighten our youths about inherent and potential dangers of drug abuse,” Onu noted.
Victor Eze, a counsellor for the church’s Abuja stake, which spans Abuja, Niger, Kaduna and Nasarawa, said youths needed assistance to “keep them off the streets and help them learn things that will help them in their lives.”