FDA Dragged To Court Over ‘No Celebrities In Alcoholic Beverage Ads’ Guideline

The Food and Drugs Authority(FDA) has been summoned before the Supreme Court over its directive against celebrities promoting alcoholic beverages.

These directives discourage the use of celebrities or well-known personalities in the promotion of alcoholic beverages through any medium.

In its Guidelines for the Advertisement of Foods, FDA states that “No well-known personality or professional shall be used in alcoholic beverage advertising.”

The Guidelines describe a well-known personality as “any person who arouses sufficient interest in society. This may include historical, political, religious, academic, cultural figures as well as celebrities and sports figures.”

These guidelines are to ensure the regulation of advertisements of alcoholic beverages in order to reduce the exposure of minors to such advertisements and to instil responsible use of alcoholic beverages.

However, the plaintiff reckons that this does not mean well for the Ghanaian entertainment industry as it deprives them of another source of income.

In the writ issued on November 11, the plaintiff, Mark Darlington Osae said these directives are tantamount to discrimination on grounds of economic status, and occupation among others.

The artiste manager and music publisher is however praying the Supreme Court to render unconstitutional the guidelines which stipulate that “No well-known personality or professional shall be used in alcoholic beverage advertising.”

The plaintiff says it is inconsistent with and in contravention of articles 17(1) and 17 (2) of the 1992 Constitution.

The Attorney General was also mentioned as a party to the legal action.

This legal action is the first since the introduction of the directive.

A battle has been ongoing between the FDA and a number of celebrities over its enforcement.

Notable among these celebrities is Wendy Shay, who has been very vocal about the losses she has incurred due to FDA’s directives.