Social commentator Mr. Kwame Asare Obeng, alias A Plus, has criticised those who spread the belief that exposure to celebrity alcohol endorsements can have a negative effect on young people.
His comments were made in response to a Food and Drug Authority rule that categorically forbids the use of “well-known celebrities or professionals” in the marketing of alcoholic beverages. The FDA has since argued that their challenged guidelines are necessary to prevent young people from becoming addicted to alcohol due to the influence of celebrities.
According to FDA regulations, “No well-known individual or professional may be utilised in advertising for alcoholic beverages; this is against the 1992 Constitution’s provisions 17(1) and 17 (2). Articles 17(1) and 17 (2) of the 1992 Constitution guarantee quality before the law and prohibit discrimination against persons on grounds of social or economic status, occupation, among others, and consequently null, void, and unenforceable.”
A Plus, however, asked why some of the decision-makers in this modern era continue to advocate for such outdated concepts as the prohibition of alcohol advertising.
He continued by saying that the people in charge of the current administration are resistant to change and that today’s youth are even more progressive in their thinking and knowledgeable about the most recent technological advancements.
“The world has gone ahead of those governing the country. Some of the people ruling this country do not even have email addresses. Some of them, too, do not know how to write their names. Some of them recently learned how to write their names. The Gen Zs are thinking faster than these so-called officials,” he stated.
More influential people in entertainment in Ghana are challenging the Food and Drug Authority’s ban on alcohol advertising in the country’s highest court.
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