A survey conducted by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has shown that more than half of minors and underage persons in Nigeria obtain alcoholic beverages by themselves.
It’s now raising concerns over underage drinking and easy access to alcohol after the study revealed that 54.3 percent of persons under 18 years buy alcoholic beverages themselves from various sources.
Titled Underage Drinking and Abuse of Alcohol: Access to Alcohol and Frequency of Consumption, the survey was released on Tuesday by the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye.
It examined the extent of alcohol abuse among underage persons through a national survey of consumers and retailers of alcoholic beverages and wines.
According to the study, alcohol is “one of the most widely used substances of abuse among youths” and a “growing public health concern in Nigeria.”
The research involved 1,788 respondents from six states representing Nigeria’s geopolitical zones: Gombe (North East), Kaduna (North West), the Federal Capital Territory (North Central), Anambra (South East), Lagos (South West), and Rivers (South South).
Respondents were categorized by age: minors (below 13 years), underaged (13–17 years), and adults (18 years and above).
Findings showed that minors and underage persons accessed alcohol through multiple channels.
“While 54.3 percent procure it themselves, 49.9 percent obtain it from friends and relatives, and 45.9 percent from social gatherings,” the survey stated.
Among those who bought alcohol themselves, 49.9 percent patronized retailers selling drinks in sachet packs and PET bottles, while smaller proportions purchased from liquor stores (15.4 percent), restaurants (12.6 percent), and supermarkets (7.9 percent).
The study further detailed procurement preferences, noting that “47.2 percent of minors and 48.8 percent of the underage procured drinks in sachets, while 41.2 percent of minors and 47.2 percent of the underage procured drinks in PET bottles.
“About 27.6 percent of the underage procured alcohol in glass bottles,” it added.
On consumption patterns, the survey found that 54.0 percent of respondents were occasional drinkers, 24.0 percent consumed alcohol daily, and 11.0 percent drank alcohol at least once a week.
Among minors and the underage, occasional drinking was predominant at 63.2 percent for minors and 54.0 percent for the underage.
Daily consumption was reported by 9.3 percent of minors and 25.2 percent of underage persons, while weekly intake was recorded among 11.3 percent of minors and 9.4 percent of the underage.
The study highlighted policy implications, noting that “access to alcohol by children can be limited if pack sizes that can be easily concealed are not available.”
It concluded that banning small pack sizes, such as sachets and bottles below 200 milliliters, could help reduce underage drinking.
The survey also called for increased vigilance by parents, teachers, religious leaders, and communities, urging them to treat alcohol consumption among children and adolescents as a serious public health concern.
