Ghanaian radio personality, Afia Schwarzenegger is the latest to join the campaign to get the FDA to list its ban on celebrities advertising alcoholic brands.
The Ghana Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) five years ago made it known that celebrities could not advertise alcoholic products.
The Authority explained that the ban is an adherence to a World Health Organization (WHO) policy and efforts to ensure that minors are protected from being lured into alcoholism.
Kofi Essel, Head of Industry Support Services Department of the FDA in an interview said the FDA would not allow any popular figure to negatively influence the youth.
“Can you imagine someone like Shatta Wale or John Dumelo endorsing alcoholic beverages for their fans who are probably below 18? What will they be telling them? The use of alcohol is as serious as guns, and I would rather plead that celebrities support the cause,” he told Graphic Showbiz.
“Well known persons have the potential to influence their followers who are not legally permitted to possess alcohol or use alcohol. In view of that guidelines have been set to guide operations of alcoholic beverage companies, including advertisement of their products and this is the reason well known persons are not allowed to endorse the products.”
Afia Schwarzenegger, reacting to the recent news of Ghanaian alcoholic brand, Adonko Bitters, endorsing some 6 Nigerian celebrities including Ini Edo, Jim Iyke among others as brand ambassadors, took the FDA to the cleaners.
She unleashed insults on FDA, describing the decision to not overturn the ban as stupid.
She said: “So why can’t Ghanaian leaders think outside the box? Who the hell sat at the Food and Drugs office and drafted such a primitive ban? Adonko Bitters has now signed Nigerian celebrities, given them huge sums of money to advertise the product so it airs on DSTV. Will you go after DSTV? This is pure stupidity. A foreigner is now benefiting when Ghanaian celebrities could have advertised and paid taxes… Fools!
“How many celebrities endorsed tramadol? People used the medicine without any endorsement from any celebrity. If you can’t train your children, don’t expose your level of stupidity by banning us. You allowed contaminated gizzard into the country yet sit in that office and fool around. Idiots!”
