AkwaIbom: NAFDAC Intensifies Campaign Against drugs hawking, ripening fruits with chemicals

 

By Freshgist 

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has warned the general public especially residents of the South-southern states of Nigeria that fruits ripened with calcium carbide and consuming drugs from hawkers was prohibited and very dangerous to health.

The workshop was aimed at sensitizing the South south media men on dangers of drug hawking and ripening of fruits with calcium carbides, ethyl acid and other chemicals in order to disseminate  or convey the information to the  general public.

Delivering a key note address during a media sensitisation workshop on topic “Dangers of drug hawking and ripening of fruits with calcium carbide” held in the federal secretariat, Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital, the Director-General, NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye,  disclosed that the chemicals in calcium carbide were hazardous to pregnant women and children and will lead to headaches, dizziness, mood disturbances, mental confusion, memory loss, swelling in the brain caused by excessive fluids, sleepiness, seizure, etc.

Adeyeye’s ably represented by the Director, Chemical Evaluation and Research of NAFDAC, Dr Leonard Omokpariola,  “The consumption of fruits ripened with calcium carbide may cause cancer, heart failure, kidney failure, and liver failure and we must avoid such.

“Calcium carbide generally contained impurities such as arsenic, lead particles, phosphorus, and others that pose several serious health hazards.

‘Fruits ripened with calcium carbide could cause frequent thirst, irritation in mouth and nose, weakness, permanent skin damage, difficulty in swallowing, vomiting, and skin ulcer.

“You can identify such artificially ripened fruits if you notice that the fruits are all yellow whereas the stem is dark, this is true especially with banana and plantain. In addition, naturally ripened fruits usually have brown or black spots, while those artificially ripened have traces of powdery substances and peel off quickly.”

Prof. Adeyeye appealed to Nigerians to stop buying milk, oatmeal, bonvita, corn flakes among other beverages that are being measured with cups or plates and sold in the open markets, as drugs are sensitive life saving commodities that should not be sold or bought in an open market.

On his part, the Director of Public Affairs of NAFDAC, Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, maintained that the media was very critical when it comes to getting  the country rid of drug hawking and ripening of fruits with calcium carbide, added that NAFDAC had already trained over 800 journalists on the dangers of bleaching cream this year..

He appealed to the Journalist to help disseminate information regarding the dangers and risk or drugs hawking to the general public in order to save lives.

Lectures were also delivered on the dangers of artificially ripening of fruits with calcium carbides, menace of drug hawking in Nigeria, influence of mass media campaign on health behavioral change, among others.