Accra, Jan. 11,- The Food and
Drugs Authority (FDA) says media outlets and persons that would be found
culpable of flouting its directive on prohibition of advertisement of alcoholic
beverages would spend between 15 and 35 years imprisonment.
Media outlets and persons are
being prohibited from advertising alcoholic beverages between 0600 and 2000
hours.
The FDA said offenders would pay
a minimum fine of 7,500 penalty units’ equivalent to GH₵90,000.00, while the maximum fine would attract 15,000 penalty
units, equivalent to GH₵180,000.00.
Mr James Lartey, the Head of
Communications and Public Education, FDA, told the Ghana News Agency on
Thursday that apart from those punitive actions, there was also be administrative
fine with a minimum of GH₵25,000.00
and maximum of GH₵75,000.00
He said the Authority was
monitoring and noting down the media outlets that were flouting the directive.
Mr Lartey disclosed that the
Authority had the Communication and Food Enforcement departments that were
undertaking the recordings, which would help the Police in their investigations
and prosecution.
“As we are monitoring, we will
forward the recordings to the Police for further action and those who would be
found liable would be determined after the Police investigations,” the
statement said.
Mr Lartey said the FDA held
extensive discussions with key stakeholders on October 31, 2017, on the intended
ban of advertisement of alcoholic beverages on radio and television stations
before issuing the directive.
He said all the stakeholders
signed a communique to pledge their unflinching support to the directive and,
therefore, expressed surprise that the Ghana Independence Broadcasters
Association (GIBA) had called for a revision of the ban.
He mentioned the stakeholders
that supported the directive as the Ghana Independence Broadcasters
Association, Ghana Health Service, Ghana Police Service and Governing Board of
the FDA.
Others are the Ghana Medical
Association, Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, Pharmacy Council, Medical and
Dental Council and National Communications Authority.
The rest are the Health Facility
Regulatory Agency, Consumer Protection Agency, Advertisers Association of
Ghana, Ghana Journalists Association, Ghana Herbal Traditional Practitioners
Association, the Bureau of National Investigations, and Traditional and
Alternative Directorate of Traditional Medicine Council.
Mr Lartey said the World Health
Organisation had directed that only persons who had attained 21 years should
patronise alcohol.
However, he said, per the FDA’s
regulation, persons who were 18 years and above in Ghana could patronise the
product with caution.
Mr Lartey mentioned countries
such as Norway, Sri Lanka, Kenya and France that had completely outlawed
advertisement of alcoholic beverages on media outlets.
The FDA issued a new directive
starting from January 1, 2018, banning the advertisement of alcoholic beverages
between 0600 and 2000 hours.
The FDA, in a press release
directed media organisations, advertisers, importers and manufacturers of
alcoholic beverages to advertise the product after 2000 hours.
The directive is in accordance
with the FDA’s Guidelines for the Advertisement of Foods (Section 3.2.6).
It said all advertisement
contents on alcohol would be vetted by the Authority before being aired.
The move was intended to
safeguard public health and safety, the FDA said.
GNA
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