The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has revealed why Nigerians must avoid liquid herbal concoctions being peddled by hawkers on the streets.
Speaking on Wednesday, Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said any drug being hawked on the streets or in buses should be avoided because of the uncertainty of its source.
According to the NAFDAC boss, for the liquid herbal concoctions, especially after four or five days, bacteria starts growing.
“Even if the herbal concoction has some medicinal properties, the bacteria will kill the person that is taking it,” she said.
Adeyeye, who however said some of the herbal medicines work, insisted that consumers must ensure that they had passed NAFDAC’s safety and efficacy tests.
“Many of our herbal medicines work but we have to do a lot of research to show how they work, at what level we are supposed to be taking them so that it will not get to the toxicity level.
She also cautioned against the use of performance-enhancing drugs because of the danger it poses for many unsuspecting men.
“Many men have died using performance-enhancing drugs because if they use them and they have heart problems or have ‘X’ type of ailment, it can easily kill,” she said.
Adeyeye said the agency would continue to use the multifaceted approach it adopted, including strengthening the pharmaceutical industries, to ensure that the citizenry was protected from fake, substandard or contaminated foods and drugs.