Sachet alcohol ban will protect public health, children — ACPN

A full ban on the production and retail sale of alcoholic drinks in sachets and containers below 200ml will protect public health, children, the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has said.

They warned that failure to do so could worsen public health risks and expose children to alcohol abuse.

The group said if the government decides to enforce the proposed prohibition, it would mark a critical step in protecting vulnerable populations and strengthening public health regulation across the country.

In a statement, ACPN National Chairman, Ambrose Ezeh, said the proposed ban is rooted in evidence-based harm-reduction and child-protection principles, stressing that restricting sachet and small-volume alcohol would significantly reduce underage access and misuse.

The planned phase-out policy was introduced by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, following a 2018 Memorandum of Understanding with industry players to eliminate sachet and small-volume alcohol.

The original deadline of January 31, 2024, was later extended to December 2025 to allow manufacturers adjust production and exhaust existing stock.

Ezeh noted that the policy was consultative and designed to safeguard public health, citing data linking alcohol misuse to about 29 per cent of preventable deaths in Nigeria and nearly half of road traffic accidents.

He added that over 60,000 alcohol-related deaths were recorded in 2016 from liver disease, alcohol-induced cancers, and fatal crashes.

According to him, cheap, small-volume alcohol products, especially sachets, lower barriers of access, affordability, and concealment, encouraging underage drinking and frequent consumption among vulnerable groups.

Field data, he said, show many minors independently purchase alcohol, often preferring sachets because they are cheap, portable, and easy to hide.

The ACPN chairman warned that industry arguments centred on affordability and “moderate consumption” must not override public health and child welfare, describing the trend as a weakening of corporate social responsibility.

“The prohibition of sachet alcohol is not symbolic but a strong statement that Nigeria should not trade the health and future of its children for short-term economic gains,” Ezeh said, noting that the long-term social and economic burden of alcohol misuse far outweighs any temporary industry benefits.

He stressed that the packaging format enables concealment and access by minors, warning that reliance on warning labels and age restrictions alone, without firm supply-side controls, would have a limited impact.

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Ezeh also pointed to broader regulatory challenges, including the continued existence of open drug markets and the circulation of counterfeit medicines, which he said undermine public confidence in regulatory institutions.

“Nigeria stands at a critical policy crossroads,” he said. “If the government chooses to fully implement the ban, protecting children, strengthening regulatory governance, and prioritising evidence-based public health policy must remain paramount.”