Grace Edema
The Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the agency would take legal action against individuals promoting misleading and deceptive advertisements for food and drug products.
Speaking on Tuesday at the NAFDAC office in Lagos, she addressed a misleading video circulating on social media about Lung Detox Tea or Lungitox (Smokers Pride).
The video falsely claims that NAFDAC approved the registration of the herbal product, which alleges that smoking is healthy when used with their product.
Adeyeye stated that the product, Lung Detox Tea or Lungitox (Smokers Pride), as featured in the misleading video, was not registered with NAFDAC.
She added, “Smoking compromises the immune system. Misleading and deceptive practices will not be tolerated. We will take legal action against individuals engaging in mischievous advertisements that could harm or even kill people who consume the products being promoted.”
Adeyeye advised the general public to disregard the misleading video and avoid patronising any unregistered or suspicious products.
She maintained that NAFDAC would not permit the distribution or sale of any product that poses a potential risk to public health, saying the claims made in the video were not only unscientific but wicked.
“In the meantime, the agency is not unmindful of the bogus and unsubstantiated allegations of financial inducement contained in the video. Ordinarily, this sort of claim will be ignored, particularly since the product was not registered by the agency. However, our Legal Services Directorate is reviewing the statements of financial compromise to seek redress in the law court. This should serve as a deterrent to individuals who may choose to malign or make libelous statements against the Agency in the future,” she said.
Adeyeye revealed that in 2023, an unscrupulous individual applied to register an “anti-smoke and lung detox tea” at NAFDAC’s Lagos State Office.
She noted that upon review, the application was rejected due to the unsubstantiated and dangerous claim that smoking could be made “healthy” by consuming the product.
“The applicant was asked to substantiate his claim, but the product was never resubmitted for processing.
“It is important to emphasise that NAFDAC does not and will never permit the approval, importation, exportation, manufacture, advertisement, distribution, or sale of any product that lacks a solid scientific basis or poses a potential risk to public health. The claims made in the application were not only unscientific but also posed a significant danger to public health.
“As a science-driven and professional regulatory body, NAFDAC strictly enforces its mandate to protect public health, as outlined in the NAFDAC Act Cap N1 LFN 2004. All products under the agency’s regulatory purview food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water, and chemicals are thoroughly evaluated for safety, quality, and efficacy before approval. Additionally, the agency does not allow the use of pictorials of organs on product packaging or artwork, as seen in the misleading product.”
Adeyeye explained that NAFDAC reiterated that clients who applied to register herbal products or any similar products were not permitted to make therapeutic claims unless those claims had been scientifically validated through proper clinical trials.
“Misleading and deceptive practices, especially those that endanger public health, will not be tolerated. The agency remains resolute in safeguarding public health by ensuring that only safe, effective, and scientifically substantiated products are approved. We condemn any attempts by individuals or organisations to mislead the public or promote products with unfounded claims.”
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