No Approval for Smoking-Promoting Herbal Tea, NAFDAC Warns Public

By Maryanne Awuya

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has debunked a misleading video circulating on social media, falsely claiming that NAFDAC approved a herbal product that promotes smoking as healthy.

In a statement released on Monday via its official X account, signed by Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC clarified that the product, marketed as “Lung Detox Tea” or “Lungitox (Smokers’ Pride),” is not NAFDAC-registered. All associated claims are entirely false and unfounded.

The statement reads: “In 2023, an application for an “anti-smoke and lung detox tea” was submitted to NAFDAC’s Lagos State Office but was rejected due to its unscientific and dangerous health claims.

“The applicant was asked to provide evidence supporting the product’s safety and efficacy, but failed to do so. The product was never approved or resubmitted for evaluation.”

The agency said that, as a science-led regulator, it rigorously evaluates all food, drug, cosmetic and chemical products for safety, quality and efficacy.

It stated: “NAFDAC do not approve any product that lacks scientific validation or poses a risk to public health, and strictly prohibits therapeutic claims for herbal products unless supported by clinical trials. The use of organ imagery on product packaging, as seen in the video, is not permitted.”

The agency condemned the baseless allegations of financial inducement made in the video.

“While such claims are ordinarily ignored, the Agency’s Legal Services Directorate is reviewing these defamatory statements and may pursue legal action. The public is urged to disregard the video and report suspicious products,” the statement said.