The Supreme Court’s ruling to maintain the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) restriction on celebrity advertisements featuring alcoholic beverages has prompted a response from Ghanaian actor and media personality George Quaye.
He asserts that allowing the lifting of this ban which has been in effect since 2015 would be preferable for the Authority. On June 19, 2024, the Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit challenging the FDA’s order prohibiting celebrities from endorsing alcoholic products by a majority vote of 5-2.
The court twice postponed making a decision in this case before making one final conclusion. At the highest court, Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo stated that the FDA’s directive did not violate the constitution while giving a condensed version of the decision.
George Quaye, who was present in court when the decision was made, is not very happy with the Supreme Court’s ruling. He underlined that while the FDA’s regulation aims to protect minors, the Authority must take into account a situation where everyone wins.
However, George Quaye feels that the FDA lost out on a chance to work with celebrities to increase public awareness of the dangers of underage alcohol drinking.
He maintained that if well-known individuals were involved in helping with sensitization campaigns, the young people’s consumption of more harmful substances may be reduced.
“I keep asking myself, is it a war between the FDA and celebrities and the answer is a No…you need to find creative ways to rather use them and endear them towards your brand, you do not fight and push them away by-passing laws that will make it difficult for them to feed.
“This is not something that I think that FDA should be hard and fast about, I think what the FDA has to do is to find a middle ground to sit with these popular people and find the best way to ensure that we can all eat, inspire and ensure that alcoholic beverages are not destroying our children,” he stated.
The highly publicized 19-month court battle that Black Kulcha Music CEO Mark Darlington Osae initiated against the Authority has come to a conclusion with today’s decision.
The FDA added that the prohibition was in line with a World Health Organization (WHO) regulation and that it was an effort to keep kids and young adults from falling victim to alcoholism.
This implies that celebrities or other well-known individuals are permanently prohibited from participating in commercials that endorse alcoholic beverages.
On Friday, June 21, the complete decision is anticipated to be released to the public.
In order to control alcohol consumption among Ghanaians, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) issued a regulation in 2015. However, the directive forbids celebrities from endorsing alcoholic products.
According to the FDA, these celebrities might influence young people to become alcoholics. The Supreme Court received a writ from Reggie ‘N’ Bollie and Skrewfaze manager Mark Darlington Osae, who claimed the directive discriminated against the creative arts sector.
Since endorsements or advertising of alcoholic beverages are essential to their livelihoods, prominent figures in the creative industry have called for the regulation to be repealed.
BY: APPIANIMAA MERCY
