A front page report published in yesterday’s daily sun on various types of unsafe roadside juices which people drink en masse to quench their summer thirst at the risk of their health. Obviously these juices are unsafe and contaminated as they are prepared from jar water collected directly from the WASA water pump. The report also pointed out that vendors mix various colour grades, tasting salt, high-fat and other unhygienic ingredients with the juice to make it tastier. Its direct and indirect cost is likely to be enormous.

People crave the juice during hot sweltering summer as they look very appealing. Doctors believe that consumption of high levels of tasting salt, as it is used in the juice, is likely to weaken the nervous system, which in turn can cause Parkinson or Alzheimer diseases. Therefore, one should be wary of this juice. Besides, drinking contaminated water may trigger various water-borne diseases.

But the consumers, primarily rickshaw pullers and other people from low-income groups, often care very little about the hygiene and nutrition value of the seemingly attractive drinks. Taking advantage of the helplessness of consumers, unscrupulous traders are selling unsafe juice posing a serious risk to public health. This is one instance of how the consumers have remained unaware and vulnerable. Official measures to protect consumers from this sort of hazard are few and far between.

Roadside juices are also very popular in and around schools as children have an irresistible desire to get those drinks. The vendors of these juices are actually selling diseases with those lucrative drinks. Disappointingly, there is no monitoring. The authorities concerned should spare some thoughts about common people who drink on the streets and the vendors should be held accountable. Relevant authorities can also think of putting a ban on the sale of junk food and carbonated drinks in and around school.