The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has linked the indiscriminate consumption of alcohol to the rise of banditry in Nigeria, warning of the substance's harmful effects on individuals and society.

NAFDAC Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, made the assertion during an interview with newsmen today.

Adeyeye said excessive alcohol consumption poses serious health risks, particularly to vital organs such as the brain, kidneys and liver.

She explained that the sale of alcoholic drinks in sachets and small polyethylene terephthalate bottles was approved decades ago but later became difficult to control due to widespread consumption.

According to her, NAFDAC responded by enforcing a ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and containers of less than 200 millilitres.

Adeyeye acknowledged that the policy had attracted resistance from some manufacturers and stakeholders but maintained that protecting public health, particularly the wellbeing of young Nigerians, remains the agency's priority.