By Rafiu Oriyomi
Freelance Writer - Nigeria
Out of religious concern, as well as due to the evident increase in drug abuse among Nigerian youth, the Muslim Pharmacists Association of Nigeria recently announced its plan to manufacture drugs containing no alcohol or intoxicants such as codeine (a narcotic pain medicine found in most cough syrups) while at the same time meeting the medical needs of the Ummah (Muslim Nation).
The announcement has drawn international headlines as well as some skepticism, with observers waiting to see if the group can turn the dream into a reality in a world where Islamic renaissance draws suspicions of fundamentalism.
The skepticism flows from the fact that alcohol has long been used as a solvent in medicines and for the extraction of active constituents of crude drugs. It also concentrates the active components within the medicine and improves its absorption after consumption. Alcohol acts as a preservative and slows downs the fermentation that occurs when only water is used. Compounds that can be dissolved in alcohol include alkaloids, glycosides, resins, and volatile oils.
Ironically, the early application of alcohol to medicine is claimed to be traced back to two Muslim alchemists from Persia, namely Geber and Rhazes, who developed and used distillation to concentrate alcohol for its use as an anesthetic.
An Arab surgeon, Abulcasis, who lived in Spain during the late 10th century, described the use of distilled alcohol in drugs as a solvent. Its use for the preparation of chemicals and tinctures became popularized during the 16th century by Paracelsus, a Swiss physician.
The Search for Alternatives
The aim of the Muslim Pharmacists Association of Nigeria is to come up with an effective alternative to alcohol, if any. Another main concern of the association is the rising misuse of intoxicating drugs.
Alhaji Aliyu Haruna, the national president of the association, says his group stands by the recent announcement and that they are convinced that alcohol and intoxicants can be substituted with other substances that are both legal and permissible for the Ummah.
Haruna would neither deny nor confirm that Muslim societies pioneered the use of alcohol in drug making and preservation, but insists that advancements in medicine and technology compel the search for pro-Islamic drugs.
In an exclusive interview with IslamOnline.net, he said that his group has taken upon itself the responsibility to help the Ummah comply with Shari`ah (Islamic law) in their use of drugs.
Haruna lamented that most people chose the cough syrups that contain codeine and that many become intoxicated. Islam forbids the intake of intoxicating substances.
"As a group out to help the Ummah conform to Shari`ah in their use of drugs, we are talking about the use of intoxicants in medication," said Haruna.
"Obviously alcohol is an intoxicant, but basically there is this issue of cough syrup with codeine which people, especially the youth, abuse."
Haruna maintained that many people use cough syrups that contain codeine to get high.
"So our association is certainly concerned about the use of this intoxicant, especially when we are aware that there are other substitutes of medications that could be used in place of codeine."
"There are many verses of the Holy Qur'an which forbid the use of intoxicants, particularly Chapter 5 verse 90," he added.
"Pharmacy is Advancing"
Haruna explained that Islam is not an austere religion, and that it allows certain forbidden things, such as the consumption of pork, if your life depends on it and there are no alternatives. However, the intake of such forbidden substances becomes unacceptable if an effective substitute is available.
"We have set up a committee to come up with substitutes we think are available for alcohol and then encourage manufacturers to use them. This will be a long term campaign," he said.
"There are many other potent cough syrups without codeine, and we encourage our brothers to opt for them. Because of the abuse of intoxicants, our local manufacturers are also working seriously to avoid its use, where possible."
Asked whether the organization plans or has the capacity to stop the local manufacture or importation of drugs containing alcohol, Haruna said, "The essence of our organization is to help our brothers. We can neither stop the importation of such drugs nor stop those who insist on producing them."
He went on to say, "Our focus is to assist our brothers like we see in Malaysia and Indonesia, where they produce drugs that suit the situation and religious doctrine of their people."
When asked what could be used in place of alcohol as a solvent, the pharmacist said that "water could be used for this purpose too, although there is the danger of water getting infected with fungi. We encourage the Ummah to always avoid drugs with alcohol since there are alternatives."
Haruna also said that the "Muslim society has options not to use gelatin made from pork," as there are Halal alternatives.
"Like every other field of study, pharmacy is advancing. Today, pharmaceutical scientists are talking about genetic engineering where genes will be manipulated to address diseases without [the sick] necessarily taking chemicals," enthused Haruna.
Sources: Brinker, Francis. " The Importance of Alcohol in Medicine." Health World. Accessed 21 Oct. 2009
Rafiu Oriyomi is a senior journalist in Nigeria, who writes politics, religion, and development. He is currently the Foreign Editor of a national newspaper in Nigeria. He holds a national diploma in Mass Communication and is currently reading History and International Relations at the Lagos State University. You can contact him by emailing: HealthAndScienceATiolteamDOTcom
Freelance Writer - Nigeria
Out of religious concern, as well as due to the evident increase in drug abuse among Nigerian youth, the Muslim Pharmacists Association of Nigeria recently announced its plan to manufacture drugs containing no alcohol or intoxicants such as codeine (a narcotic pain medicine found in most cough syrups) while at the same time meeting the medical needs of the Ummah (Muslim Nation).
The announcement has drawn international headlines as well as some skepticism, with observers waiting to see if the group can turn the dream into a reality in a world where Islamic renaissance draws suspicions of fundamentalism.
The skepticism flows from the fact that alcohol has long been used as a solvent in medicines and for the extraction of active constituents of crude drugs. It also concentrates the active components within the medicine and improves its absorption after consumption. Alcohol acts as a preservative and slows downs the fermentation that occurs when only water is used. Compounds that can be dissolved in alcohol include alkaloids, glycosides, resins, and volatile oils.
Ironically, the early application of alcohol to medicine is claimed to be traced back to two Muslim alchemists from Persia, namely Geber and Rhazes, who developed and used distillation to concentrate alcohol for its use as an anesthetic.
An Arab surgeon, Abulcasis, who lived in Spain during the late 10th century, described the use of distilled alcohol in drugs as a solvent. Its use for the preparation of chemicals and tinctures became popularized during the 16th century by Paracelsus, a Swiss physician.
The Search for Alternatives
The aim of the Muslim Pharmacists Association of Nigeria is to come up with an effective alternative to alcohol, if any. Another main concern of the association is the rising misuse of intoxicating drugs.
Alhaji Aliyu Haruna, the national president of the association, says his group stands by the recent announcement and that they are convinced that alcohol and intoxicants can be substituted with other substances that are both legal and permissible for the Ummah.
Haruna would neither deny nor confirm that Muslim societies pioneered the use of alcohol in drug making and preservation, but insists that advancements in medicine and technology compel the search for pro-Islamic drugs.
In an exclusive interview with IslamOnline.net, he said that his group has taken upon itself the responsibility to help the Ummah comply with Shari`ah (Islamic law) in their use of drugs.
Haruna lamented that most people chose the cough syrups that contain codeine and that many become intoxicated. Islam forbids the intake of intoxicating substances.
"As a group out to help the Ummah conform to Shari`ah in their use of drugs, we are talking about the use of intoxicants in medication," said Haruna.
"Obviously alcohol is an intoxicant, but basically there is this issue of cough syrup with codeine which people, especially the youth, abuse."
Haruna maintained that many people use cough syrups that contain codeine to get high.
"So our association is certainly concerned about the use of this intoxicant, especially when we are aware that there are other substitutes of medications that could be used in place of codeine."
"There are many verses of the Holy Qur'an which forbid the use of intoxicants, particularly Chapter 5 verse 90," he added.
"Pharmacy is Advancing"
Haruna explained that Islam is not an austere religion, and that it allows certain forbidden things, such as the consumption of pork, if your life depends on it and there are no alternatives. However, the intake of such forbidden substances becomes unacceptable if an effective substitute is available.
"We have set up a committee to come up with substitutes we think are available for alcohol and then encourage manufacturers to use them. This will be a long term campaign," he said.
"There are many other potent cough syrups without codeine, and we encourage our brothers to opt for them. Because of the abuse of intoxicants, our local manufacturers are also working seriously to avoid its use, where possible."
Asked whether the organization plans or has the capacity to stop the local manufacture or importation of drugs containing alcohol, Haruna said, "The essence of our organization is to help our brothers. We can neither stop the importation of such drugs nor stop those who insist on producing them."
He went on to say, "Our focus is to assist our brothers like we see in Malaysia and Indonesia, where they produce drugs that suit the situation and religious doctrine of their people."
When asked what could be used in place of alcohol as a solvent, the pharmacist said that "water could be used for this purpose too, although there is the danger of water getting infected with fungi. We encourage the Ummah to always avoid drugs with alcohol since there are alternatives."
Haruna also said that the "Muslim society has options not to use gelatin made from pork," as there are Halal alternatives.
"Like every other field of study, pharmacy is advancing. Today, pharmaceutical scientists are talking about genetic engineering where genes will be manipulated to address diseases without [the sick] necessarily taking chemicals," enthused Haruna.
Sources: Brinker, Francis. " The Importance of Alcohol in Medicine." Health World. Accessed 21 Oct. 2009
Rafiu Oriyomi is a senior journalist in Nigeria, who writes politics, religion, and development. He is currently the Foreign Editor of a national newspaper in Nigeria. He holds a national diploma in Mass Communication and is currently reading History and International Relations at the Lagos State University. You can contact him by emailing: HealthAndScienceATiolteamDOTcom
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