The Nigerian House of Representatives has resolved to prohibit the sale of alcohol and psychoactive drugs in and around motor parks across the country. This decision was reached on Thursday, following a motion presented by Mr. Abbas Adigun, the representative for Ibadan North-East/Ibadan South-East Federal Constituency, Oyo State, during a session in Abuja.
Citing a Federal Road Safety Commission report, Adigun highlighted that alcohol and drug consumption are responsible for 90 percent of road accidents, impairing drivers’ judgment, coordination, and vision, which puts lives and property at risk. “The consumption of psychoactive drugs and alcohol increases the risk of motor accidents,” he noted, stressing the need for immediate action.
Adigun argued that in other parts of the world, alcohol and other potentially harmful substances are limited to pubs and are not available in public transport areas like motor parks. He expressed concern over the free availability of alcohol and illicit drugs at motor parks, where drivers consume these substances before journeys, endangering passengers and pedestrians.
Following the motion’s adoption, the House called on federal, state, and local governments to implement an immediate ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages and drug-related substances in and around motor parks.
