A viral WhatsApp message falsely claims that “DEW” bottled water is responsible for 180 deaths in Tanzania and has appeared in Nigeria. DUBAWA’s investigation confirmed the claim to be false, as NAFDAC previously debunked it in 2011, stating there were no such incidents nor any legal importation of the product into Nigeria.
A viral WhatsApp message claims that a bottled water brand named “DEW” has been responsible for the deaths of 180 individuals in Tanzania and is now available in Nigeria. This alarming assertion indicates that Nigerian Customs has issued a warning against this product, urging individuals to disseminate this information to “save lives.” However, DUBAWA has found this claim to be untrue, lacking credible evidence.
The message, having gained significant traction on social media platforms, reads as a desperate call to action, urging recipients to avoid the DEW bottled water due to alleged poisoning. Despite the increasing circulation of this rumor, verified searches revealed that this claim has circulated since at least 2011, when it was initially debunked by the National Agency for Food Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
NAFDAC’s investigations concluded that there was no incidence of poisoning related to DEW bottled water. They stated that hospitals across Nigeria reported no hospitalizations, nor any fatalities associated with this product. Furthermore, according to the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), bottled water is listed as prohibited from importation, indicating that it cannot lawfully enter the nation.
Moreover, a thorough search did not yield any evidence supporting the existence of DEW bottled water or any documented fatalities in Tanzania linked to this brand. Therefore, it is evident that the spread of such misinformation can incite undue panic amongst the public, especially in light of past incidents involving beverage contamination in Nigeria.
This false claim regarding “DEW” bottled water is a persistent one since 2011 and lacks any credible evidence. The prohibition on bottled water imports into Nigeria supports the findings that the product has not entered the country. Furthermore, no deaths have been reported in Tanzania related to this brand, reinforcing the necessity of verifying health-related information to combat misinformation.
Original Source: dubawa.org
