NAFDAC raises the alarm on soaps, creams

Written by  Femi Makinde and Segun Olatunji

DG NAFDAC, Dr. Paul OrhiiFile copy

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has called on Nigerians to stop using cream and soaps which contain mercury, the skin cancer-causing chemical.

The NAFDAC Coordinator in Ekiti State, Mr. Francis Ononiwu, said this in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday after the agency sealed up some pharmacies, patent medicine stores and supermarkets.

The NAFDAC boss led officials of the agency who seized Crusader antiseptic soaps, some unregistered body creams, wines, condoms, drugs and snacks.

Ononiwu said, "Crusader soap contains mercury and mercury causes skin cancer. That is why we seized the soap. Unregistered insecticides are also dangerous to human beings. Some of the manufacturers use banned chemicals. That is why we are after these unwholesome products."

According to him, some Nigerians treat cough repeatedly without knowing that they can be caused by these harmful chemicals.

He added that the agency would intensify its effort to rid the market of unwholesome products, especially as the Yuletide was fast approaching.

He said, "We want to ensure that only products that meet the minimum international standard are sold in Nigeria."

Ononiwu explained that the agency officials used the true-scan machine to detect some fake drugs on the spot.

With the machine, drugs could be tested without taking them to a laboratory and the machine would state their content.

He noted that though the machine was expensive, they were available at regional offices of NAFDAC nationwide.

Ononiwu stated that the national office of the agency had begun processes to make the true-scan machines available in all the states.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Customs Service has handed over a consignment of banned drugs, Nimesulide tablets, worth N6m seized from smugglers to NAFDAC in Kaduna.

NAFDAC has also seized fake drugs estimated at N2m from drug stores in Kebbi State.

The Agency’s Public Relations Officer, North West Zone, Jessica Okwuchi, said in a statement on Thursday that Nimesulide was a banned drug which had adverse effect on human liver and other organs in the body
.SOURCE: Punch Newspaper, 18 November 2011.  http://punchontheweb.com