Drunk drivers shun safety rules, endanger unsuspecting passengers
In a world where the charm of cheap booze blurs the rules of the road, the stories of bus drivers and conductors take a wild turn. Sachet alcohol and PET bottles fuel their chaotic journey through the streets, amidst accusations of risky behaviour, BABATUNDE TITILOLA writes
“Sabo – Yaba – Oyingbo!” the middle-aged conductor roared at intervals.
Hanging by the door, he firmly held the top part of the bus with his left hand with half of his body inside while the other half enjoyed the rushing breeze as the driver zoomed inconsistently with the gear.
When he finally rested his voice and brought the whole body to the seat beside the door, sweat trickled down from his dark, rugged face.
As he muttered while collecting the fares from passengers, our correspondent who was sitting just beside him was bombarded with the smell of alcohol escaping from his mouth.
“How much do they sell these sachet alcoholic drinks these days?” asked Sunday PUNCH reporter.
“The one I bought at the bus stop this morning went for two for N300 for one,” the conductor quipped.
With still a long way to go from Berger to Yaba, it did not take many inquiries before Agbaje, as he proudly called himself, divulged his long-standing regular communion with sachets of alcoholic drinks.
He said, “Oga, I must take it every day o. The body has to be charged before one can survive in this job. I take it every morning before coming to work and I always have one or two to spare during work hours. The body has to be sharp all the time. Whenever I feel dull, I take one or two to recharge the body and go ahead with my day.”
According to an explainer article about alcohol by the British Broadcasting Corporation, taking alcohol can make the person feel good for a period during which the chemicals that tell the body what to do called the brain’s neurotransmitters “go a bit haywire.”
It said, “From that very first sip of beer, wine or vodka, the alcohol travels to your stomach and into your bloodstream. It then makes its way around the whole body: your brain, your mood and your muscles. The process starts within minutes of your first sip. The level of alcohol in your blood will peak about 45 to 90 minutes later.”
The article explained that when a person drinks alcohol, the body treats it like a poison and wants to get rid of it. The liver helps by breaking down the alcohol into different chemicals with the help of enzymes. This process allows the body to remove the alcohol and its effects.
Explaining how a person gets drunk, it said, “In this case, the liver uses an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase to convert the alcohol into what is a pretty toxic substance called acetaldehyde (sometimes the production of this substance is what can make you feel hungover). At least acetaldehyde doesn’t make you feel intoxicated though, and it can be worked on more easily to shunt the rest of the alcohol from your system.
“Acetaldehyde is then broken down into acetic acid (the ingredient in vinegar). After this, it is broken down into fatty acids, carbon dioxide or water, all of which the body likes. However, if you drink more than your liver can process, you start to get drunk.”
For the next few minutes, Agbaje went on to tell our correspondent how the economy has “spoiled everything” including his purchasing power to get the sachet drinks as he would like to.
“I still drink as long as I have small change in my pocket but you know what things are saying in this country now. To spend money, you have to think a lot but me, I still drink anyway. It charges my body and makes me not think of the sad things that we experience in Nigeria,” he said.
Earlier ban
On February 5, 2024, in a move to crack down on the availability of small-sized alcoholic beverages, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control said it had started enforcing a ban on the importation, production, distribution, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages in sachets, PET, and glass bottles of 200ml and below.
The Agency had in January 2022, stopped the registration of alcoholic beverages in sachet and small volume PET and glass bottles below 200ml. This decision was the result of a joint committee meeting comprising the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, and industry stakeholders in December 2018.
As a direct outcome of the committee’s deliberations, producers in this sector agreed to gradually reduce production by five per cent starting from January 31, 2022, with a clear commitment to completely phase out these products from the market in Nigeria by January 31, 2024.
During a press briefing in February, NAFDAC’s Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, said the Agency had started enforcing the ban after the period allowed to phase out the products had elapsed.
She said, “As of January 31, 2024, there is no alcoholic beverage in these categories that are registered by NAFDAC. I also want to inform you that the agency has started enforcement actions to enforce the implementation of this policy. The window period given to manufacturers by NAFDAC to sell off all alcoholic drinks in this category elapsed on January 31, 2024.
“To this end on the first day, after the elapse of the window period, the agency commenced nationwide enforcement actions on February 1, 2024, to enforce the implementation of the new policy.”
Drinking spree despite ban
Despite the ban, findings by our correspondent showed that Nigerians find solace in sachet and small-bottled alcohols.
Agbaje is not the only loyal customer of these products. Many drivers, conductors, and garage ticketers all have a deep admiration for sachet and small-bottled alcohols.
Another conductor who gave his name as Abdul told our correspondent that he needs to take at least one bottle every morning before his body calms down from the hustles and bustles on the road.
32-year-old Abdul was born and raised in Oshodi before he moved to Yaba where he and his fiancé currently stay.
The experience he shared with our correspondent showed that growing up in an environment such as he described has had a huge influence on his habits and perception of daily survival.
His words, clearly articulated in a deep Yoruba tone showed that he had not been lucky enough to be educated in a way that reflects literacy.
He, however, was pleased to allow our correspondent, a total stranger, into his past for a brief moment.
He said, “Getting high is very normal where I come from.
“Either you smoke, drink, or do both. I do not like smoking because it darkens the lips but I drink. In this line of work, some of us need to be high before we can handle what comes our way. Imagine the ticketers who behave anyhow because you do not want to give them money. They can even remove any part of your vehicle. You need madness to handle their madness.”
Amidst the glistening rays of the sun on May 29th, our correspondent boarded a bus navigating the busy Victoria Island – Obalande route. The tranquillity of the journey was soon shattered when the conductor urgently instructed the driver to stop at a roadside stall.
Passengers exchanged uneasy glances as the conductor disembarked and made a beeline for an elderly woman selling an array of alcoholic drinks. With a sense of intrigue and apprehension hanging in the air, the conductor selected two sachets of spirits, leaving those aboard the bus puzzled and intrigued by his unexpected purchase.
“Na so we dey do am my bro,” the 25-year-old conductor, Idris, told our correspondent as he extended one of the sachets to his boss, the driver, who received the package with much expectation.
“You want to take a picture of me taking this (the drink)? You have to buy me one o,” he said jokingly while biting one edge of the sachet drink.
Over the following few minutes, Idris leisurely sipped on his drink, savouring each drop as he multitasked by handing out change to passengers who had paid their fares.
Conductors are not the only loyalists of sachet or PET alcoholic drinks. Like Idris’s boss, the driver, many other drivers shared a deep bond with spirits, whether in sachets or small bottles.
Adigun Oladokun is one of those drivers. He drives a yellow-painted cab capable of taking 7 passengers at once across the Long Bridge from Berger in Lagos State to Shagamu in Ogun State. This journey, according to him, takes a toll on his physical health unless he consumes spirits at intervals.
“Sitting down for hours and driving is a lot. Sometimes, your body cannot take it anymore. That is why I take gins. It changes my mood and clears my head. Even when there is no sale on some days, taking one or two sachets takes my mind off the situation,” Adigun said.
On Sunday morning of May 19, a ticketer at the Magboro bus stop in Ogun State, during an interview, told our correspondent that drinking had become a daily habit for him.
Every day, Abbas, as he preferred to be called, runs after commercial buses that ply their trade along the Mowe-Berger route. He has only one job, to deliver a certain amount of money at the end of the day. This money is collected from drivers for picking up passengers in the ticketers’ spot.
Life, for Abass and a few of his counterparts, is a rollercoaster of non-stop running and unending arguments with stubborn drivers.
Our correspondent observed the cat-and-mouse relationship between the ticketers and bus drivers.
For most of the bus stops in Lagos and Ogun states, there are more than three ticketers. Findings revealed that the ticketers collect money from drivers for different purposes. For instance, a ticketer may be handling only the big buses while another collects ticket fees from small cabs.
Another ticketer may only collect parking fees while the other collects because the driver has picked up more than one passenger at the bus stop. As long as a driver parks at that bus stop, there is no escaping paying a certain amount.
Sometimes, arguments ensued between ticketers and drivers or conductors due to refusal to pay. If the argument escalates, it may result in a fight between the parties or destruction of vehicle parts.
As a result of these realities, Abass said it takes a strong mind to handle stubborn conductors who want to play tricks to avoid paying.
He said, “There is an amount you have to remit at the end of the day. There is a problem for you if you do not meet up. That is why you would see me and my guys drinking, to be strong for this job. Take a sachet at intervals and you will be okay.
“Some drivers want to play smart and you have to remove their side mirror or their fuel tank cover. You need a strong mind to remove things from a car in motion. We run almost every time, so, someone needs to be strong and very active.”
Increasing consumption
Findings by Sunday PUNCH indicated that the consumption of alcohol continues to rise despite the biting economy.
According to a business intelligence and data gathering platform, Statista, the alcoholic drinks market in Nigeria has been experiencing significant growth in recent years as it is driven by changing customer preferences, emerging trends, and local special circumstances.
It also noted that customer preferences in Nigeria have shifted towards premium and craft alcoholic beverages, as consumers are becoming more discerning and willing to spend on higher quality products. This trend is driven by a growing middle class with increased disposable income, who are seeking unique and sophisticated drinking experiences.
The platform, in its market insights on alcoholic drinks in Nigeria updated in March and April 2024, said, “Revenue, at home (For example, revenue generated in supermarkets and convenience stores) in the alcoholic drinks market amounts to $42.4 billion in 2024. Revenue, out-of-home (For example, revenue generated in restaurants and bars) amounts to $328.2 million in 2024. Revenue, combined, amounts to $42.8 billion in 2024.”
The insights further revealed that the revenue generated at home is expected to grow annually by 15.38 per cent.
“The alcoholic drinks market is expected to show a volume growth, at home of 0.7 per cent in 2025. The average volume per person, at home in the alcoholic drinks market is expected to amount to 80.76 litres in 2024,” it added.
Amidst the growing consumption, the World Health Organisation has said the harmful use of alcohol causes over 200 diseases and injuries.
The group stated in a 2022 report on alcohol that, “Worldwide, 3 million deaths every year result from harmful use of alcohol. This represents 5.3 per cent of all deaths. Beyond health consequences, the harmful use of alcohol brings significant social and economic losses to individuals and society at large.
“Alcohol consumption causes death and disability relatively early in life. In people aged 20 – 39 years, approximately 13.5 per cent of total deaths are attributable to alcohol. There is a causal relationship between harmful use of alcohol and a range of mental and behavioural disorders, other noncommunicable conditions and injuries.”
Startling statistics
There has been an increase in the number of road traffic accidents in Nigeria with drunk driving being one of the common causative factors.
In its Statistical Digest for the Fourth Quarter of 2023, the Federal Road Safety Corps said there were 2,717 total crashes with serious cases being 1,772 while fatal and minor cases were 687 and 258 respectively.
The National Bureau of Statistics, in its analysis, noted that, compared to the previous quarter (Q3), there was a 24.23 per cent increase in total crashes.
It said, “The total number of road traffic crashes in Q4 2023 was 2,717, indicating an increase of 24.23 per cent from the previous quarter (Q3) which recorded 2,187 and 33.12 per cent decrease from 3,617 in Q4 2022.
“Of all crashes, serious cases stood top in Q4 2023 with 1,772 compared to fatal and minor cases with 687 and 258 respectively.
“In addition, the three categories of cases recorded an increase, fatal increased by 29.13 per cent, serious increased by 24.87 per cent and minor cases increased by 9.32 per cent in the quarter under review relative to the preceding quarter.”
On April 10, 2024, for instance, a drunk driver was said to have rammed into another bus along the Ota-Idiroko Expressway in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, resulting in two deaths.
In December 2022, also, during a street carnival in Calabar, Cross River State, at least 14 people were reportedly killed and 24 others injured after a drunk driver lost control of the car and ploughed into crowds watching bikers performing at the carnival.
In a research article published by the National Library of Medicine, the authors, Chidi Ogazi and Ema Edison, said there was a need to assess the magnitude and nature of the drink-drive problem in Nigeria and evaluate the institutional capacities for preventing drinking and driving, using the methodology developed by the International Centre for Alcohol Policies.
The results of the research noted, “Not only is it likely that the police data underestimate the road crash problem but it was also found that the data from the police and the Federal Road Safety Commission were inadequate for estimating the extent of the drink-drive problem mainly because of the lack of alcohol testing equipment.
“One research study highlighted the problem of drivers of commercial vehicles; 67.2 per cent of drivers admitted to drinking alcohol during the working day.
“Nigeria sets a legal limit of 0.05 g/100 mL blood alcohol concentration, but enforcement of the law is weak because alcohol testing equipment is unavailable.”
Sellers’ tales
Observations by our correspondent in some popular spots in Ogun and Lagos States revealed that alcoholic products in sachets and PET bottles are sold in many of the garages and bus stops. Sellers who could not afford stalls organise their wares in open places.
Around 7 pm at one corner, under the Oshodi bridge in Lagos, a middle-aged woman was seated in front of a wooden stall where different kinds of alcoholic drinks were arranged. Our correspondent who was in the area observed that most of her customers were regular faces in the nearby garage as they shared familiar greetings during the purchases.
Our correspondent approached her and pretended to be a customer. However, she was quick to realise that our correspondent was not a regular due to a frustrating back-and-forth on the prices of the drinks.
“You don’t buy these often,” she finally expressed herself in Yoruba after a few seconds of price haggling
She refused to disclose her name or face after our correspondent requested for a short interview for fear of being chased down by security agents. However, she noted that the consumption of sachet alcoholic drinks has not reduced despite the country’s economic condition.
“They still buy them. The only problem we have is that the prices have increased so it is only those who cannot do without drinking that buy,” she said.
The woman’s sales experience is similar to that of many other sellers who make a living from selling the products NAFDAC announced it has banned.
While waiting for the massive enforcement of the ban, sellers feared the risk of losing their source of livelihood.
A seller who identified as Laide told Sunday PUNCH that the ban if carried out on a high scale, could turn her life upside down.
“The economy might not be good but people still patronise me. That is why I am still selling and that is where I get money to sustain myself and my child. It will be hard to adjust if I am not allowed to sell these drinks,” she said.
Widespread consumption can lead to organ failure – Physician
A Professor in the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences from Bingham University, Haroun Isa, in an interview with our correspondent, said the continuous consumption of sachet alcoholic drinks will have both physical and health implications. He added that
He said, “There are a lot of health implications. The availability of the sachet drinks makes it easier to procure. So, rather than people spending money on big drinks, they go for the ones in sachets. Many of these sachet products have 20, 50 per cent alcoholic content. First is the danger of the operation of the vehicles. Imagine a driver who has not eaten but goes ahead to drink, the tendency of vehicle mishap is high.
“Another is the health implication. In those who consume alcohol for a long period, certain amino acids are very important to maintain the integrity of the liver. Chronic alcoholism tends to prevent the functionality of these amino acids. Once this happens, you are laying the ground for the destruction of the liver. That is why we have liver cirrhosis. As time goes on, the liver fails even before the person grows old.
“So, chronic alcoholic consumption, especially on an empty stomach will have profound effects on the liver. Chronic alcohol consumption also affects the brain cells because it affects good judgement. There is also the loss of inhibition which brings the tendency of acting indecently or rude behaviours. There can also be memory loss because chronic consumption destroys the brain cells.”
The public health physician said the ban will reduce the widespread and uncontrolled regulation of sachet alcoholic drinks adding that, “Because they are in sachet forms, they are easily procured. That is why we have widespread use. And from widespread use, we can begin to understand the widespread implication when such products get into the hands of young people. So, we need to control this. And there is only one liver in the body. So, the ban is appropriate because it is reducing the potential number of people at the receiving end at the end of the day.”
In a similar vein, a public affairs analyst, Emma Jimo, during an interview with Sunday PUNCH, said there is still massive production and consumption of sachet alcoholic drinks because the phasing out was not effective.
Jimo said, “The ban of production, distribution, sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks in sachet is very commendable because before now, it made the purchase very easy and affordable. So, there was a loophole in the accessibility and cost-effectiveness of getting these sachet drinks, especially by commercial transport workers like drivers and conductors.”
“If they had enforced the phasing out effectively, we would not have the problem of seeing the products still in circulation. So, it is either the government did not enforce it as they should or the distillers went back on the agreement they have with the government.”
He said the government and relevant agencies should intensify efforts to ensure that the ban is felt across the country, adding that, “It will reduce intoxication among drivers, reduce road crashes, and improve road safety. The government should intensify efforts and block all loopholes.”
Why we don’t support the ban – NIBAN
The Executive Secretary of the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria, John Ichue, during an interview with our correspondent, said the Association supported regulated consumption of alcoholic products and not the ban.
He explained that banning the products will cause massive job loss in Nigeria which will further economic implications.
He said, “We are not in support of any ban. The matter is still with the National Assembly. The National Assembly passed their resolution on Thursday, March 14, 2024, asking the DG of NAFDAC to lift the ban but that has not been done.
“The House of Representatives are insisting that the ban should be lifted because of the economic implications. You cannot throw 5.5 million Nigerians into the job market. You cannot destroy over three trillion investments just like that.
“This is not the time to create job losses for Nigeria. NAFDAC should live up to its duty. In other climes, before you buy alcohol, they will ask you to produce your Identification Card. They won’t sell to you. So, why not come up with a regulatory framework instead of towing the line of ban? In most African countries that have implemented that ban, illicit alcohol has taken over that space.”
Ichue said the Association does support the abuse of alcohol and would contribute to the efforts to ensure responsible drinking.
He said, “We are not in support of abuse of alcohol. Our responsibility as an association is to encourage responsible drinking. And that includes that people below the age of 18 should not drink. That has always been our position. Based on that, we are actively involved in a policy which is being worked on by the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure that alcohols are not sold at parks or garages. It is the responsibility of agencies and regulators like NAFDAC to enforce that, not ours.
“If there is abuse of alcohol at motor parks, NAFDAC must handle it. The agency should live up to its mandate. It is not the duty of the producers to do that. It is NAFDAC that has an enforcement unit that should handle it.
“In the past, we have spent over 1 billion naira trying to enlighten Nigerians on responsible drinking. So, if there is abuse by drivers and conductors, it is the responsibility of the regulators to ensure that alcohol is not sold in parks or near schools. We have conducted an enlightenment campaign in parks against abuse.”
The Executive Secretary added Nigeria’s problems will be compounded by a lack of jobs resulting from banning the production of alcoholic products.
Ban continues
However, NAFDAC in February 2024, said the content in those sachet beverages contains 30 per cent alcohol compared to beers.
The agency in a statement released by its Head of Public Relations, Christiana Obiazikwor, stated, “The agency commenced nationwide enforcement actions on February 1, 2024, to enforce the implementation of the new policy.
“NAFDAC did not ban alcohol production in bigger bottles. The Agency only banned alcohol in containers or packing that a child can easily conceal, I.e., sachet or PET bottles less than 200ml
“The alcoholic content in sachets or PET bottles less than 200ml is 30 per cent. Beer has four to eight per cent alcohol.
“The Association of Food, Beverage & Tobacco Employers and Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria signed an agreement with MOH and NAFDAC in December 2018 that they will phase out production of alcohol in sachet and PET bottles less than 200 ml by January 31, 2024. The agreement document is available. A five-year phase-out notice should be sufficient.”
In an interview with The PUNCH on May 20, the Agency’s Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, said the ban on alcohol in sachets was to prevent easy access to minors.
She said, “In 2010, Nigeria with 193 countries signed that they would not make alcohol easily accessible to young people. But we don’t dare to stand by it. Why do we have children that have become alcoholics before they get to the university if they ever get to the university?
“We have children who are mentally ill because you will expose a child to alcohol at a young age. They said why can’t children have identity cards, so they don’t sell to them. Where, in Nigeria? In a system that works, yes. In the United States, you cannot buy cigarettes, you will show your identity card because they will quote your identity on the computer, and it shows that it is genuine.
“We have children now who have cancer because their livers have been compromised, because of early alcohol use. We have young people having kidney problems. We are not robots with metals; we are human beings, we have organs, and when the organs start taking alcohol, they start breaking down with time.
“It was 2018, and they said their businesses would collapse, and we said we would give them five years to figure out how they would arrange their businesses. The reality is that there are still some people working at those companies, but the years given to them are suddenly not enough for them.”
