According to a recent nationwide poll, one in four teenage youths in Nigeria consume alcohol on a regular basis, but more than half of them now purchase it on their own, frequently in tiny plastic bottles and sachets.
According to the survey, which was carried out throughout Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, 54.3% of kids and underage individuals bought alcohol on their own, primarily from unofficial and roadside vendors.
The most popular forms were found to be small PET bottles and inexpensive, easily hidden sachet packs.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN) collaborated to assist the study, which was conducted between June and August 2021 by Research and Data Solutions Ltd. in Abuja.
Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC, presented the findings and called them a wake-up call for communities, parents, and regulators.
“The ease with which children can obtain alcohol is extremely concerning, as it is one of the most commonly abused substances among Nigerian youth,” Adeyeye stated.
Alcohol poses major health, social, and developmental risks to children when they are allowed to buy it on their own, especially in little bottles and sachets.
In addition to direct purchases, the survey revealed that 49.9% of minors and underage respondents got alcohol from friends and family, 45.9% from social events, and 21.7% from their parents’ homes. These findings highlight the influence of social and domestic settings on underage drinking.
Patterns of consumption were also concerning. Although the majority of children and underage respondents said they occasionally drank, 9.3% of minors and 25.2% of underage teenagers acknowledged to drinking alcohol everyday, which experts warn can result in addiction, dangerous behavior, and long-term health issues.
1,788 people from the states of Gombe, Kaduna, the Federal Capital Territory, Anambra, Lagos, and Rivers participated in the nationwide poll. It also featured interviews with alcohol retailers and focus groups with children and young people.
The results support the need for more stringent regulation of alcohol packaging and retail practices, according to Prof. Adeyeye.
“This survey’s evidence indicates that removing small, easily concealed pack sizes from the market can significantly reduce children’s access to alcohol,” she said. “A crucial intervention in reducing underage drinking is the prohibition on sachet alcohol and very small bottles.”
NAFDAC called for greater social responsibility and cautioned that legislation would not be the only solution.
“Parents, educators, religious leaders, and the general public should be alarmed by children’s alcohol use,” Adeyeye stated. “We must work together to protect our children’s health and the country’s future.”
The agency emphasized that preventing underage drinking is still a national priority and reiterated its commitment to enforcing alcohol control measures as part of its responsibility to protect public health.
