Group calls for extension of ban on alcoholic beverage adverts

The Ghana Non-Communicable Disease Alliance, a health-focused Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), is appealing to the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to extend the ban on alcoholic beverage on airwaves from 0600 hours to 2200 hours.

The Alliance is a network of NGOs with a mission to reduce non communicable disease related deaths through health promotions and improving the quality of lives of people living with the disease in Ghana.

In December 2017, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) announced the enforcement of an advertising regulation, which prevented manufacturers and dealers of alcoholic products from advertising their products on airwaves from 1800 hours to 2000 hours.

Mr Labram Musah, National Coordinator, Ghana Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance, speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview, said non-communicable diseases were a leading cause of deaths worldwide especially for low to middle income countries like Ghana, with alcohol and tobacco usage being a major contributor.

He said there were over 60 brands of alcoholic beverages competing in the Ghanaian market on daily basis, with catchy adverts intended to lure new customers, mostly young people.

Mr Musah said though the after 2000 hours advert time was to ensure that people below the age of eighteen were asleep, the reality was that a majority of them slept after 2000 hours.

He said a World Health Organization (WHO) report on alcohol and health stated that about 23.3 per cent of Ghanaians aged 15 and above took alcohol.

Mr Musah said though the diseases were preventable, the implementation of certain laws was a challenge, saying, “the implementation of the law on public smoking especially, which is a risk factor to the cancers, is quite poor”.

He said there was therefore the need for a more robust implementation to help reduce the intake of alcohol, especially among the youth.

Source: GNA