Following the spate of suicides committed with the use of Paraquat and Atrazine popularly known as Snipper, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, is mulling over banning the products.
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NAFDAC Director, Veterinary Medicine and Allied Products Directorate, Dr Husman Bukar, dropped this hint at the launch of a herbicide (Lifeline), produced by United Phosphorous Limited (UPL) at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan.
Bukar tore into Snipper saying overwhelming evidence has revealed that it was harmful in all ramifications even to farmlands and farm produce.
He said, “A date for the ban has not been announced but it will happen very soon. Paraquat has been banned in several countries and we cannot continue to allow it to come into Nigeria.”
The Director revealed that plan is underway to put measures in place in order to restrict its domestic use following its growing use for suicide.
According to him, “Recently, some suicide cases have been associated with people drinking Snipper, henceforth, we call on the agro-chemical industry to enhance their distribution channels so that this product (Snipper) gets to only accredited distributors and marketers.
“We have also placed a ban on the manufacture of smaller packs of Snipper which are easily purchased for household use.”
