Joseph Yaw Bernie Bennie, Director of Legal Affairs at the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) is in contention with critics of the Authority’s ban on alcohol advertisement by celebrities.
Mr. Bennie in an interview on 3FM’s Sunrise on Thursday, June 20 did not agree with the assertion that its directive will impede the livelihoods of affected persons (celebrities).
He said the Authority regulates myriads of products and this directive which affects celebrity’s alcoholic beverage endorsement will in no way affect their source of livelihood.
“The FDA regulates thousands of products, you are talking of one so how will this take food out of somebody’s mouth. You are talking of just one which is in the interest of public health and safety,” he stated.
According to him, the Authority is still dialoguing to deal with some lapses in the directive, as its guidelines “is not one that solves all the issue.”
The FDA in its guidelines for the Advertisement of Foods published on February 1, 2016 stipulates that “No well-known personality or professional shall be used in alcoholic beverage advertising.”
The authority explained that the guideline was necessary to prevent minors from being addicted to alcohol due to the influence of celebrities.
The FDA further noted that the ban was in adherence with a policy by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and also part of efforts to protect children and young ones from being lured into alcoholism.
However, a citizen Mark Darlington filed a suit against the FDA’s directive praying the Apex court to hold as unconstitutional the directive as it violated the right against discrimination as guaranteed by Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution.
But the Supreme court in a 5-2 majority decision on Wednesday, June 19 dismissed the case and upheld the FDA’s directive.
The court held that the directive by FDA was not unreasonable and excessive, adding that it didn’t contravene the provision of the constitution.