Medical practitioners in Ondo State have expressed concern over an alleged rise in liver and kidney diseases among young people, linking the trend to the consumption of fake and adulterated alcoholic beverages.

The State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Roland Arohunmolase, said doctors were increasingly seeing cases of liver cirrhosis among teenagers and adults aged between 22 and 30.

He described the development as worrying, noting that severe liver conditions are traditionally less common among people within that age group.

The NMA, however, said further investigations would be required to establish the extent to which unsafe alcoholic beverages contribute to the reported cases.

The association expressed concern that fake and adulterated drinks were no longer limited to informal markets but had reportedly entered supermarkets, hotels and bars, exposing more consumers to health risks.

It warned that consumption of such products could have serious health consequences and called for urgent measures to curb their circulation.

The NMA urged the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and other regulatory agencies to intensify surveillance, seize unsafe beverages and prosecute those found culpable.

It also called for stronger enforcement of existing regulations and increased vigilance across the beverage supply chain to ensure that drinks sold to the public meet safety and quality standards.