The Federal Government of Nigeria through the Ministry of Health has ordered the immediate ban of Code in importation by pharmaceutical companies into the country. This is coming after a special documentary by BBC on the issue of codeine a cough syrup and how Nigerians especially youths are now using it as drugs.
The report claimed that thousands if not millions of Nigerian youths are taking it on a daily basis with other mixtures to get high and has also been fingered as cause of unexplained death recorded, as it is addictive, and once anyone is addicted to it, it becomes a problem not just to that particular individual, but to the society at large. The areas where code in is mostly used are states such as Kano and Jigawa. These states recorded the highest number of users and illegal dealers and it has become a thing of worry, as it is spreading to other parts of the country, like Lagos for example and other States in the country.
The minister of Health Professor Adewole while giving the directives to National Agency For Food And Drug Administration, said:
The Federal Ministry of Health has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to ban with immediate effect further issuance of permits for the importation of codeine as active pharmaceutical ingredient for cough preparations.