…. Doctors demand nationwide crackdown on illicit alcohol, herbal mixtures, methanol supply chains
…NAFDAC finds high methanol, cannabis in ‘Monkey Tail’ concoction
Daud Olatunji
The Nigerian Medical Association has raised the alarm over the growing public health crisis linked to the consumption of an unregistered alcoholic and herbal concoction popularly known as “Monkey Tail” in parts of Ondo State.
The association said no fewer than 48 people had died, while 182 others were affected, including five victims who became permanently blind and two others who suffered partial loss of vision.
The NMA, in a statement issued on Monday by the Chairman of its NMA-NAFDAC Liaison Committee, Dr Azim Adekunle Ashimi, said the victims were recorded in Odigbo, Irele and surrounding Local Government Areas of Ondo State.
The association said laboratory analysis conducted by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control confirmed the presence of high concentrations of methanol and Cannabis indica in samples of the implicated beverages.
Describing the development as a serious public health disaster, the NMA called for coordinated and decisive action by regulatory, security and health agencies to prevent further deaths and permanent disabilities.
According to the association, methanol is an industrial solvent that is highly toxic when consumed and can cause irreversible damage to the optic nerve and other vital organs.
The NMA explained that methanol is converted by the liver into formic acid after ingestion, resulting in severe metabolic acidosis and potentially causing blindness, multi-organ failure and death.
The association warned that symptoms may initially be mistaken for those of ordinary alcohol intoxication or other illnesses.
It listed severe headache, abdominal pain, general weakness, altered consciousness, breathing difficulties and visual disturbances, including blurred or unusual “snowfield” vision, among warning signs requiring urgent medical attention.
The NMA therefore urged doctors and other healthcare professionals in Ondo State and neighbouring areas to maintain a high level of suspicion when treating patients who develop sudden visual impairment, unexplained metabolic acidosis or altered consciousness after consuming alcoholic drinks or herbal mixtures.
It further advised healthcare providers to initiate appropriate emergency management, including resuscitation and correction of metabolic acidosis, while considering recognised antidotal treatment and haemodialysis where clinically indicated.
The association also urged health workers to immediately report suspected cases to relevant health authorities and NAFDAC offices to strengthen surveillance and epidemiological tracking.
While acknowledging the reported arrest of 15 suspects by security agencies in connection with the tragedy, the NMA called for a wider investigation and enforcement operation targeting illicit producers and distributors.
It demanded a comprehensive crackdown on informal distilleries, illegal herbal-mixture blenders and open-market distribution networks involved in the production and circulation of unregistered alcoholic beverages.
The association also called for a sustained nationwide public education campaign warning Nigerians against consuming unlabelled, unregistered or locally mixed alcoholic and herbal products.
It specifically identified products sold as artisanal herbal shots, unverified bitters and locally produced alcoholic mixtures as requiring greater public scrutiny.
The NMA further called for tighter controls over the supply chain for industrial chemicals such as methanol to prevent their diversion for use in the production of beverages intended for human consumption.
