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NAFDAC holds sensitization workshop in Awka, Warns on Dangers of Drug Hawking & Ripening of Fruits with Carbide


The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Moji Christianh Adeyeye, yesterday held the south east NAFDAC media sensitization workshop on the dangers of drug Hawking and ripening of fruits with calcium carbide in Awka Anambra state. She used the occasion to call on media practitioners in the south east and beyond to be worthy partners in creating awareness about dangers of patronizing people hawking drugs in streets and markets;as well as those selling fruits ripen with calcium carbide.



The NAFDAC DG represented by a director in the parastatal,Dr Leonard Omokpariola,  noted that it is completely an arbitration and very wrong to hawk drugs in streets and market places; because, drugs are essential and life-saving commodities. 


She said, "Drugs should not be sold as they sell tomatoes and vegetables. Drugs require specific storage conditions. So, if you subject drugs  to heats and unhealthy conditions, the potency will be degraded, and it will no longer be effective for treatment of ailments.


"The bigger danger about drug hawking is that much of such drugs are fake, substandard and expired. That is why they are hawked I discriminately.


"The second part is the use of calcium carbide to ripen fruits. Calcium Carbide is a chemical substance, and it is toxic. When used to ripen fruits, it is capable of breaking down essential minerals and vitamins in fruits. This chemical substance contains phosphorus and accelic which are very toxic to health. Such fruits should be avoided because, they are cancerous.


"So, it is advisable that people should desist from buying and eating fruits ripen with this chemical substance because, they are chaff and poisonous."


The workshop also featured technical sessions and interaction with the media. Some of the issues discussed include,dangers of artificial ripening of fruits with calcium carbide, food safety concerns: unethical practices, the menace of drug hawking in Nigeria, good distribution practices and surveillance activities towards prevention and curbing of substandard and falsified medicines in Nigeria and lastly the influence of mass media campaign on health behavioural change. 

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