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Illicit Drugs: NAFDAC, Lagos Destroy 5,000 Litres Seized Expired Codeine

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As Lagos calls for concerted efforts to combat menace.

 

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in collaboration with Lagos State Government, on Tuesday, destroyed at least 5,000 litres of expired codeine cough syrup seized during various operations.

 

This came as Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, stressed the need for collaboration from both the private and public sector in the war against illicit drugs in Lagos, in particular, and Nigeria in general.

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Director-General, NAFDAC, Prof. Mijisola Adeyeye and Hamzat, represented by Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello witnessed the destruction of the expired cough syrups seized by the agency, at the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, LASEPA, headquarters, Alausa, Ikeja, during the official inspection and demonstration of the agency Mini- Effluent Treatment Plant, ETP, used in the destruction of expired Codeine.

 

Adeyeye, who commended Lagos State Government for putting up a standard ETP, to mitigate against pollution of the environment, said the 250,000 litres was just part of over 2 million litres of Codeine syrups seized from various operations by the agency.

 

According to her: “I wish we all recall that about three and a half years (31/2) years ago that Nigeria suddenly, found herself faced with scourge of abuse of codeine containing syrups by some of our youths. This abuse was as a result of consumption of codeine containing syrup against off the label use of the syrups.

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“The effects of this abuse became alarming as presented in the BBC documentary in April 2018. The Federal Government, through the directives of the Minister of Health, NAFDAC banned the codeine country syrup from the supply chain of the manufacturer warehouses, distributors, pharmacy outlets and drug stores.

 

“NAFDAC, as a responsible called for recall of the syrup and the exercise resulted in mopping up over two and a half million bottles of codeine containing syrup from all over Nigeria by the Agency’s Pharmacovigilance and Post-Marketing Surveillance Directorate.

 

“These were kept on hold at the respective pharmaceutical companies. After some settlement with the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Group of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMGMAN), the codeine containing syrups were moved to the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate Warehouse our secured warehouse at Oshodi Lagos.

 

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“The next big task is taking a decision on how best to destroy this product. Three Directors of NAFDAC were put on this assignment.

 

“After a lot of deliberations by the Agency’s Management, NAFDAC rationally decided that LASEPA waste disposal facility will be used to destroy the product.

 

“We arrived at this decision because we wanted the product to be safely destroyed without constituting hazard to the environment.

 

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“Also, we chose LASEPA because it has technical competence and capacity to undertake the destruction. More importantly The entire process will be transparent and we are aware that LASEPA will issue certificate of safe destruction at the end of the exercise.

 

“After series of meetings between the two agencies and scientific considerations, the procedures for safe and efficient destruction of the product were arrived at and agreed upon. This included first deactivation of the collected syrup using caustic soda before transporting to LASEPA.

 

“The Agency worked out the logistic of transporting over two hundred and sixty thousand litres of syrup to LASEPA facilities in batches to cope with the capacity of the LASEPA plant.

 

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“Today I am delighted that we chose wisely by asking LASEPA to undertake the destruction exercise as the exercise progressed very well as planned and it is almost completed.

 

“I congratulate Lagos State Government for setting up this modern plant for safe treatment of liquid waste in Lagos.

 

I wish to express my profound appreciation to Lagos Government for making the facility available for NAFDAC to use for this critical national assignment.”

 

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“Finally, I wish to thank the Managing Director, Dr. Fasawe, and the entire staff of LASEPA for the good work done and for its contribution to be part of our effort at safeguarding the health of the nation.”

 

Speaking, Sanwo-Olu, stressed the need for more collaboration with Federal Goverment and private organizations if the menace of drug abuse must be eradicated or be brought to barest minimum.

 

According to the governor: “This is all about the issue of state and federal governments’ collaboration.

 

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“We need more of it. We must collaborate to sanitize the society because many of our youths are gradually been destroyed through drug abuse. We (Lagos) are ready to have more collaborations with relevant agencies and organizations to combat this menace.”

 

Earlier, Director General, LASEPA, Dr Dolapo Fasawe, also,expressed readiness of the state government to collaborate with agencies and organisations in stemming the tide of drug abuse in the country.

 

Fasawe, while stressing on sanitization of the environment, said: “What we are advocating in Lagos is that any effluent being discharged into the environment by any company must be treated.

 

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“However, LASEPA discovered a worrisome development where most companies were discharging effluent to our environment without proper treatments due to lack of plants. Lagos State Goverment is committed and will not condone this hazardous act to her residents.

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Don Confirms ‘Zobo’ As Antihypertensive Therapy

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The Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria Enugu Campus, UNEC, Prof. Daniel Nwachukwu, after research findings and clinical trials in both animals and human, has confirmed that Hibiscus Sabdariffa, popularly called ‘zobo’ drinks, has all the curative potentials as an antihypertensive therapy.

Nwachukwu, who is a Professor of Cardiovascular Physiology in the university, stated that the antihypertensive effectiveness of the Hibiscus Sabdariffa (zobo) was comparable to those of known antihypertensive drugs that are popular in the retail pharmacies, adding that zobo’s availability, cheapness and absence of side effects make it attractive as an alternative therapeutic agent in mind to moderate hypertensive subjects.

He however cautioned that care should be applied to avoid abuse in the consumption of Hibiscus Sabdariffa (zobo), adding that the therapy could interfere with some anti-malaria drugs while its high dose was also reported to have toxic effects on the liver and kidney.

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Nwachukwu’s discoveries were contained his 201st Inaugural Lecture of the University of Nigeria with the topic “The Marriage Between the Cardiovascular System and Hibiscus Sabariffa: Let no One Put Asunder,” delivered at the moot court hall, Law faculty of the University of Nigeria, Enugu campus.

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The DVC warned that Hibiscus Sabariffa consumption is not recommended for persons with low blood pressure because of its well established hypotensive action, advising that during combined therapy with antihypertensive drugs, the blood pressure, BP, must be carefully monitored.

He recommended that industrialists and investors should support large scale production of Hibiscus Sabariffa beverage and its distribution to rural communities in Nigeria, particularly since the raw materials (Hibiscus Sabariffa calyx and water) are cheap and readily available.

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According to Nwachukwu, “This lecture is intended to draw the public attention to our research efforts and unveiling the antihypertensive ability of Hibiscus Sabariffa which is called zobo in our common parlance. What we used for our studies was the same concentration as the locally produced zobo, and we found out that it exerted significant antihypertensive ability, in some cases even higher than the antihypertensive drugs and also did combination therapy with other antihypertensive drugs.

“What is significant is that this zobo is within us, it’s very cheap and it does not have any side effects compared to other antihypertensive agents. The raw material is just to buy zobo, prepare it under hygienic conditions, boil water and put it, sieve it and drink. It may have a sour taste but we do not encourage people to add things like pineapple or sugar in order to make it sweet, because once you do that, you are diluting or reducing its antihypertensive effectiveness.

“We have demonstrated it, both in animal studies and in humans. We are the first to do clinical trials, using mild to moderate antihypertensive Nigerians and we found it very useful. Some of the results show that one can actually use it and we equally saw that you can use it to prevent even diabetes from occurring because it reduces the rise in glucose level.”

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READ ALSO: Adolescent Girls Face Risks Of Sexual Violence – UNICEF

Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Charles Igwe while summarizing the lecture said that the lecture was in three dimensions; one on health grounds, another in academics and the third an economic value.

“Its economic in the sense that we can also begin to use what God has given us to make money. Maybe because God gave us everything in abundance in this country, we don’t recognize the simplest things God gave us in our environment. Therefore, what we are saying is that we should begin to, at all these pure water productions and incorporate zobo production so as to make money out of it.

“The university has made its contribution through our laboratories and it’s now left for the business community and the industries to come and buy into it and start widening it and make it very economic,” Igwe suggested.
Vanguard

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Glaucoma: What You Need To Know

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By Silver Yeibake 

Hi, did you know that Tuesday 12th March, 2024 is world Glaucoma day?Kindly avail yourself of this opportunity to learn about this important health issue as presented below:

Glaucoma is a dangerous eye disorder that damages the optic nerve, causing visual impairment or permanent blindness if not treated.
The optic nerve transmits visual information from the eye to the brain. Damage to this nerve might cause gradual visual loss that is not immediately obvious.

Worldwide, this disease affects 67 million people and contributes 6.7 million of blindness in this population. Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the world.
The total number of cases is expected to increase to 111 million by 2040. Males are slightly more affected than females.

One of the basic causes of glaucoma is an increase in intraocular pressure (pressure within the eyeball), which can eventually damage the optic nerve (the nerve that makes seeing possible). This increase in pressure could be caused by an accumulation of aqueous humor, the fluid that nourishes the eye.

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FROM THE AUTHOR: Food Poisoning: What You Need To Know

There are several forms of glaucoma, including open-angle glaucoma, angle-closure glaucoma, normal-tension glaucoma, and secondary glaucoma, each with unique characteristics and treatment choices.

Some of the risk factors for glaucoma include sustained elevation of intraocular pressure, family history of glaucoma, race (African, Asian), short-sightedness, long-sightedness, age over 50, previous eye injury or surgery, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, migraines, and prolonged steroid therapy.

Glaucoma symptoms may not appear until the problem has advanced sufficiently, therefore regular eye checks are essential for early detection. Blurred vision, eye pain, nausea, and light halos are some of the most frequent glaucoma symptoms. However, these symptoms might be mild or readily misinterpreted as other eye problems, emphasizing the significance of regular eye examinations.

Glaucoma treatment tries to reduce intraocular pressure and protect the optic nerve from further damage. This can be accomplished using a variety of approaches, including prescription eye drops, oral medicines, laser therapy, and surgical procedures. Treatment options are determined on the kind and severity of glaucoma, as well as personal characteristics such as overall health and medical history.

To summarize, glaucoma is a serious eye disorder that requires timely diagnosis and treatment to prevent irreversible vision loss. Regular eye examinations, early detection, and commitment to treatment plans are critical for protecting vision and eye health in glaucoma patients.
Thank you.

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Dr. Yeibake, Weriwoyingipre Silver, a
Senior Registrar, Faculty Of Pediatrics, West Africa College of Physician (WACP), writes from Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

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Health

Cough: What You Need To Know

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By Silver Yeibake

The cough reflex is a protective mechanism that helps to clear the airways of mucus, irritants, or foreign particles. When our airway is irritated, it sends a signal to the brain, which then triggers the muscles in our chest and abdomen to quickly expel air, clearing or removing the irritant. This reflex acts as a crucial defense mechanism for the respiratory system. “Cough is not a disease process.”

Kindly note the beautifully coordinated steps involved in the action we know as cough:

1. Irritatant detection: The first step in the cough reflex is the detection of an irritant in the airways, such as dust, smoke, or mucus by special protein complexes called irritants receptors (for convenience) which convert the sensation into an electrical impulse.

READ ALSO: Food Poisoning: What You Need To Know

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2. Signal Transmission: The receptors in the airway send the signals along nerves to the brain, specifically to a part called *”the cough center”* located in the medulla oblongata, a part of the brainstem.

3. Signal Processing: The brain processes these signals and responds by sending nerve impulses back to the muscles involved in the coughing process.

4. Muscle Contraction: The diaphragm, abdominal muscles, and muscles in the chest wall contract, increasing the pressure in the chest and forcing air out of the lungs at a high speed, making the sound that is characteristic of cough.

5. Expelling Irritant: The forceful release of air clears the airway, expelling/removing the irritant and helping to protect the respiratory system.

The above steps are designed to occur repeatedly until the irritant is removed from the airways or respiratory system or drugs are given to suppress this important protective function.

Although taking cough medication for relief as first aid is usual, it is best to identify and address the cause as soon as possible. Seek medical attention if 2 to 3 days of therapy do not give improvement or the symptom worsened rapidly.

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Dr. Yeibake, Weriwoyingipre Silver, a
Senior Registrar, Faculty Of Pediatrics, West Africa College of Physician (WACP), writes from Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

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