Some residents in the Tema Metropolis have expressed mixed reactions to the Supreme Court’s affirmation of the Food and Drug Authority’s (FDA) ban on celebrity endorsements of alcoholic beverages.
The Supreme Court, in a 5-2 majority decision, dismissed a case filed by Mr. Mark Darlington Osae, the manager of hip-hop artists Reggie’ N’ Bollie and Krewfaze, which sought to challenge the ban on using celebrities for advertising alcoholic products.
The Guideline 3.2.10 of Guidelines for the Advertisement of Foods states that “no well-known personality or professional shall be used in alcoholic beverage advertising” aimed at stopping the younger generation from getting attached to alcohol due to the influence of celebrities.
In a random survey conducted by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Tema, some residents said the move was a step in the right direction because the advertisements significantly influenced the decisions of young people and could throw them into drunkeness.
“Some of the youth can buy the drink just because of the love he or she has for a celebrity without even considering the content; some have also taken these celebrities as their role models and have followed them blindly, it is a good thing the court has dismissed the appeal of the celebrities, they should find another source of income,” Ms. Linda Akwetey, a cosmetic dealer, said.
She added: “Although the advertisements portray alcoholic beverages harmlessly, their impact is so severe that I am very happy the court has affirmed the FDA’s move to prevent celebrities from promoting these advertisements.”
Mr. Tagbor, Francis, a home appliance dealer, said: “Some of the students, especially when they are away from home, abuse these beverages because of how well they are portrayed in the media.
“Why should it be so? When you go to the beaches and clubs, everywhere the youth gather, I don’t know if they target the youth.”
He added that “the celebrities should start organising shows to raise income and leave the alcoholic advertisement. It is true that the body needs some amount of alcohol, but we get some in the foods we consume; look at the number of alcoholic drinks on advertisements; and while watching TV shows and programmes with our children, they start showing it.”
He commended the court and the FDA and prayed the FDA would further ban alcoholic products in the country, lamenting the rise in kidney and other diseases in the country.
Mr. Joy Jackson, a businessman, wondered: “How do they expect the celebrities to survive? There are no jobs, and we need to survive. If they ban them from doing this advertisement, how would they cater for the needs of the families? That is their source of income.”
He stressed that “this is about parents training their children and not blocking people’s means of survival. Some people do not have time to nurture their children, so I don’t see how they should stop people who are also trying to make ends meet. I have never seen or heard any celebrity encouraging the youth to drink alcohol.”
