The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has cautioned the public against the abuse of syrups containing codeine, saying the medicine was meant for cough relief.
The Director-General of the agency, Dr Paul Orhii, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja yesterday on the sideline of the launch of the 2011 International Narcotics Control Board Report.
Orhii, who said many house wives and students abused the drug, identified the effects of taking such drugs as: hallucination, euphoria, increase in crime and accident.
“One of the biggest problems we are facing is the issue of abuse of codeine containing syrups which is the most effective medicine for cough suppression.