What’s really in your glass?

By Josephine Agbonkhese 

The recent toxic-drink tragedy in Ondo State has once again forced Nigerians to think about what they drink. But beyond the immediate danger of poisonous alcohol lies a bigger lifestyle question: are we paying enough attention to what is in our everyday glass?

There is something almost automatic about the way we drink in Nigeria.

A soft drink with lunch. A can of energy drink to get through a demanding afternoon. A bottle of beer after a long day. A cocktail at a party. A glass of wine at dinner. Perhaps a herbal concoction because someone says it is “good for the body”.

We drink for refreshment, energy, celebration, relaxation and sometimes simply because everybody else is drinking.

But how often do we stop to ask: what exactly is in my glass?

This question has taken on a more urgent meaning following the recent toxic-drink tragedy in Ondo State, where NAFDAC reported 182 cases of severe illness and 48 deaths linked to locally prepared alcoholic and herbal concoctions. Laboratory analysis found high concentrations of methanol in samples of the implicated drinks, with victims reportedly suffering symptoms including visual disturbances, weakness, breathing difficulties and altered consciousness.

The incident is a devastating reminder that what we consume can sometimes carry risks we cannot see, smell or taste. 

But there is another conversation worth having.

It’s Not Just About Alcohol

When we hear “unhealthy drinking”, most of us immediately think about alcohol. And understandably so. Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with liver disease, several cancers and other serious health problems, according to experts. 

Yet the modern Nigerian beverage landscape is much bigger than beer, wine and spirits.

Walk into a supermarket or neighbourhood shop and you will find shelves filled with energy drinks, carbonated beverages, sweetened juices, flavoured drinks, teas, herbal bitters and other concoctions.

Some promise energy. Others promise refreshment. Some are marketed around wellness. Others are simply irresistible because they are cold, colourful and convenient.

The challenge is that we often pay more attention to the branding than the contents.

The Sugar We Don’t Count

Consider the drinks we consume without mentally categorising them as “indulgences”. For example, a soft drink may accompany lunch almost every day. A heavily sweetened tea may become a morning ritual. An energy drink may become the answer to tiredness. A fruit drink may appear healthier simply because it contains the word “fruit”.

But healthy-looking and healthy are not necessarily the same thing.

The same applies to portion sizes. What appears to be one bottle may contain more than one serving. What feels like a small addition to a meal can become a significant part of one’s daily intake when repeated regularly. This is why reading labels matters.

Natural Does Not Always Mean Safe

Then, just like the killer-drinks reported in Ondo State, there are herbal drinks and bitters, which occupy a particularly interesting place in Nigerian drinking culture.

The appeal is understandable. Herbal products are often associated with tradition, nature and home remedies. But “herbal” is not automatically synonymous with “harmless”.

The Ondo tragedy has made that distinction painfully clear.

Consumers need to strive to know, always, what they are buying, who produced it, whether it is properly regulated and what ingredients it contains. The recent crisis has also highlighted the danger of consuming alcoholic products whose source and contents cannot be verified.

Can We Still Enjoy a Drink?

Absolutely. Healthy drinking should not become another lifestyle conversation that makes pleasure sound like a crime. There are always occasions for celebrations such as dinners, weddings, birthdays, evenings out and the occasional indulgence. But perhaps we need to become more deliberate about our choices.

Must every social gathering revolve around alcohol? Must every meal come with a sugary drink? Could sparkling water, zobo, kunu, a carefully prepared mocktail or another non-alcoholic option become just as welcome at the table?

Look Before You Drink

Perhaps the healthier drinking lifestyle is not about banning pleasure from the glass but about putting consciousness before consumption.

Before opening that bottle, can, sachet or cup, ask: What is in it Where did it come from? Is the product properly labelled and regulated? And, perhaps most importantly, is this something my body really needs—or simply something I have become accustomed to drinking?

The Ondo tragedy reminds us that some dangers in a drink can be immediate and devastating. But our everyday choices matter too because a healthier lifestyle does not always begin with what we remove from our plate. Sometimes, it begins with what we choose to put in our glass.

So, what’s really in your glass?

Vanguard News

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