Unregistered gin and need for consumer education
Locally brewed gin, popularly called ogogoro is a hard drink which has been with us for a long time and the effect when consumed excessively, sometimes has been unpalatable. It is usually consumed at hidden corners and shanties and sometimes above the table. Recently government placed blanket ban on the sale of the product to curtail reported cases of death said to have arisen from the consumption of the product. In this report by Daniel Obi, it is believed that the ban may not achieve the desired result but deep consumer education on the need to patronize standard and registered spirit.
Last Monday, according to Vanguard Newspaper report, there was tragedy in Benin City. A driver attached to a private firm in Edo State crushed his friend, Egbe Eghobawaye to death after sharing ogogoro together. The report said that the driver who visited Pa Eghobawaye and after sharing ogogoro with him, the driver decided to go to his office, but lost control of the vehicle and crushed his friend to death.
It was also reported by another medium that in June this year, the consumption of the unregistered gin claimed new fewer than 38 lives in Rivers State and also resulted in death of some other people in Okwale axis of Delta state.
The recent Benin City incident and other reported cases around the country are just a few of the menace said to be influenced by Ogogoro, the unregistered local gin. The local brewed gin has been around for a long time without perhaps such huge casualty, especially the incidence of death from its consumption. While it is not absolutely clear what may have been responsible for the loss of lives on account of such consumption, many Nigerians have called on authorities to conduct thorough investigation to ascertain the root cause of the death.
Government ban on ogogoro
In a bid to stem the tide of deaths and prevent such re-occurrence in the country, NAFDAC, the body saddled with the responsibility of regulating foods and drugs swung into action to arrest the ugly trend by placing ban on the consumption of unregistered locally made spirits.
While some industry watchers believed the action of government to ban unregistered spirit was a step in the right direction, others were of the view that the ban may not in any way achieve desired result in the long run believing on proper education of consumers.
Need for consumer education
Some analysts believed that dearth of information among consumers may have been responsible for the loss of lives. To them, the local brewed gin that possibly led to many deaths may have come from the proliferation of unwholesome spirits in the market. They however called on government to embark on enlightenment campaign to sensitize the consuming public on the need to desist from the consumption of unregistered locally made spirits as many of these illegal brewed gin could be said to be harmful.
Commenting in a report, the Chief Executive officer of Kiishi Lagos, Adeola Adejokun who once worked in one of the notable brands in Nigeria said NAFDAC has a big responsibility on its hands in ensuring that Nigerians get the necessary information to prevent them from consuming adulterated spirits.
Adeola said” I think NAFDAC has a lot to play in raising public enlightenment to a level that consumers will know which one is good for consumption because it is their responsibility. As you all know, NAFDAC is concerned with issues that deal with standard and hygiene. Take for instance, we have as many bottled water spread in all parts of the country but there are no serious cases of contamination. It means that NAFDAC is doing well to regulate them, as there is virtually no bottled water without NAFDAC approval. I think the same thing should be applicable in spirit. For me, I think the industry needs serious intervention. It behoves on NAFDAC to embark on enlightenment campaign for the consumers in ensuring that they know why it is dangerous to consume unregistered gin. Some of them may contain possibly ethanol than it is necessary. So, it is always safe to consume brands with high quality control, one in which all the facts contained in the mix are traceable, one in which not only allow for NAFDAC standard but also global standard. We must be interested in consuming brands that invest so much in research and development”
He said” For me, I think it is not enough for government to come out with a blanket ban, they should take a step further by empowering the consumers with necessary information that would assist in identifying original products which have less health implications on their well being. I think it is an industry that can be regulated just as it was done in the case of pure water. I believe by so doing, it will weed out bad eggs and help players in the market to raise their game”
Also in her view on the controversy surrounding the ban imposed on the consumption and the need for consumers to ascertain the registered brands before consumption, the Director General of Consumer Protection Council, Dupe Atoki in a report said it was necessary that agency raise the bar in civil and consumer education to prevent consumers from consuming unwholesome products noting that emphasis must be centred on creating a clear means of identification for the registered brands to forestall the re-occurrence of that episode. She explained that the consumers must take heed to instruction given to them to avert unnecessary death.
She said” I think that is an area that borders on safety. I think there is need for consumers to be more educated as to what they should ingest. If the ogogoro that has been on for while now becomes hazardous, consumers then should avoid it”.
The blanket ban on ogogoro could raise consciousness of consumers but may not be a lasting solution to the consumption of the spirit which has been with us for a long time. While it would be appropriate for regulatory authorities to conduct investigation in those areas where ogogoro consumption is said to have claimed lives to ascertain the production process and components in the mix, consumer education is important for consumers to drink what they know, especially registered and standard spirits and moderately too.