Alcohol is breeding the next generation of bandits – NAFDAC DG, Adeyeye

The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, has warned that alcohol consumption among Nigerian youths is the driving force behind the country’s escalating banditry and insecurity.

In a video shared by Channels Television on Wednesday, Adeyeye raised an alarm over the dangerous link between early alcohol intake and the rise of violent crimes.

According to her, children who are exposed to alcoholic beverages at a tender age are essentially being “groomed” for a life of crime and social deviance.

The NAFDAC boss established a chilling connection between the bottle and the weapons carried by criminals across the country. She noted that the violent behaviors witnessed in the society are often fueled by the abuse of substances.

“Behavioural consequences, violence is a major factor of alcohol drinking in youth—suicide, homicides, and major motor crashes and other accidents. In our country, it is responsible for banditry,” Adeyeye said.

She explained that the “toxic boldness” required for criminal activities often stems from long-term addiction, which begins with alcohol

Professor Adeyeye further revealed that alcohol acts as a “gateway drug” for Nigerian minors. Citing a recent study, she disclosed that those who start drinking before the age of 15 are significantly more likely to graduate to harder narcotics.

“The minors and underage in our study are 41 per cent more likely to become dependent on alcohol and this study also shows that they graduate to start taking cocaine and other narcotics,” she added.

Adeyeye concluded by reminding parents and guardians that alcohol is a highly addictive substance that poses a direct risk to the stability of the Nigerian society.