NAFDAC warns consumers against sex-enhancement drugs leading to deaths

*The Nigerian health regulatory agency emphasises that consumption of such ‘aphrodisiac’ substances could lead to stroke or sudden death of consumers

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

As a consumer protection measure, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians to desist from using sexual performance-enhancing substances known as “aphrodisiacs” to impress their partners.

The health regulatory agency has emphasised that consumption of such substances could lead to stroke or sudden death.

ConsumerConnect reports Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of NAFDAC, who offered the advice to consumers Sunday, December 26, 2021, in her Christmas and New Year goodwill message to Nigerians, decried the preponderance of performance-enhancing drugs, also known as “manpower” in the local parlance in the Nigerian markets.

Prof. Adeyeye noted that most of the performance-enhancing drugs in the open markets are not registered with NAFDAC but are being smuggled into the country.

The NAFDAC Chief said: “If they were registered, the producers and peddlers alike would not be doing what they are doing in the supermarkets, social media platforms, and on the streets.”

Adeyeye also disclosed that several men had died using performance-enhancing drugs and their relatives would blame their deaths on some imaginary witches in the village.

She further disclaimed the claim by the producers of such products that they have no side effects.

According to her, majority of the products do not go through the approval process of NAFDAC in Nigeria.

The NAFDAC Director-General noted that the agency would not relent in tracking down  the peddlers of such dangerous drugs until they were brought to book for violating the regulations.

“Many people are ignorant of the possible damage that misuse of aphrodisiacs or use of unregistered drugs could cause,” Prof. Adeyeye.

She also said that there were manufacturing, quality guidelines, and mandated regulations that control the production, importation, exportation, advertisement, and the use of such products in the country.

According to Adeyeye, unbridled use of aphrodisiacs has a lot of implications in the entire body system and the use of the products can potentially affect the blood pressure of the body.

“When you have a disproportionate flow of blood to a particular part of the body and lasting longer than normal, they tend to disrupt the normal flow of the circulatory system,’’ she stated.

The NAFDAC Director-General as well warned that aphrodisiacs could also interact with other drugs in the system.

She further explained that the liver is responsible for the breakdown of drugs while the byproduct of all waste goes down through the kidneys.

“When these things are used, especially with some herbal medicines that don’t have dosage and professional prescription, it can lead to internal organ damage.

“It can hurt the liver and the kidneys, leading to an untimely death,” she warned.

Adeyeye, therefore, urged Nigerian consumers to eat and drink right so as to avoid health complications after Christmas and New Year festivities.

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