THE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), on Wednesday, condemned activities of drug hawkers nationwide and warned that any hawker arrested by the agency will be prosecuted and made to face a jail term.

Director-General of NAFDAC, Professor Christianah Adeyeye, who made the announcement at a sensitisation workshop on dangers of drug hawking and ripening of fruits with carbide, in Lagos, said the agency’s enforcement officers are currently carrying out synchronised nationwide operation and no offender will be spared.

Adeyeye, represented by the Director of Chemical Evaluation and Research, Dr Leonard Omokpariola, described drug hawking as a menace that poses a challenge to healthcare delivery system, hence the need to totally eradicate the illicit trade.

Ädeyeye said many drug hawkers are 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 into poisons, thus endangering human lives.

She said: “Most of the drugs sold by the hawkers are counterfeit, substandard or expired, and do not meet the quality, safety and efficacy requirement of regulated medicines. Prescription drugs are also sold by itinerant hawkers who also hold consultations, recommend and prescribe medicines to their gullible patients.”

She added that drug hawkers are also major distributors and suppliers of narcotic medicines to criminal networks such as bandits, insurgents, kidnappers and armed robbers, thus constituting a threat to national security.

Adeyeye also raised the alarm about the indiscriminate ripening of fruits with calcium carbides by many fruit sellers in the country, saying that carbides contain substances like arsenic, lead and phosphorus that pose serious health hazards to humans.

She added, “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.”

The NAFDAC DG said fruits ripened with calcium carbide are all yellow, whereas the stem is dark, adding that “in addition, naturally ripened fruits usually have brown or black spots, while those artificially ripened have traces of powdery substances and peel off quickly.” (Nigerian Tribune)

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