“It’s a normal thing here na. When they cry too much, just deep your finger into alcohol and let them lick it. They will just sleep,” said a mother of four in Bariga, Lagos.
Children barely able to walk are being exposed to alcohol across parts of Nigeria, sometimes as early as two years old. A Saturday PUNCH investigation reveals a growing culture of using alcohol to soothe infants, a practice experts warn poses severe health risks.
“It’s a normal thing here na. When they cry too much, just deep your finger into alcohol and let them lick it. They will just sleep,” said Mrs Beatrice Ukpono, a mother of four in Bariga, Lagos.
Her eldest child, Clement, a final-year student at the University of Lagos, confirmed the practice was routine. “Even when our father was alive, he would drink and give us a little in a glass for us to share. It’s normal for us,” he said. Clement admitted he is now addicted to alcohol.
The issue gained national attention this week after a viral video showed a young woman feeding bitters to an infant. The Nigeria Police Force confirmed it is investigating. “Exposing a child to alcohol is illegal and dangerous,” the force said in a statement.
Medical experts warn that alcohol can cause seizures, brain damage, and long-term dependency in children. “What calms the child today could kill them tomorrow,” said Dr Funke Adebayo of University College Hospital, Ibadan.
Despite cultural acceptance in some communities, child rights advocates insist the practice is abuse. “Children are not small adults. Alcohol permanently alters their brain development,” said Dr Olabiyi Olaniran, a U.S.-based researcher.
The World Health Organisation has reiterated that there is no safe level of alcohol use for children, urging urgent sensitisation to stop the silent epidemic.