The Alcohol Policy Alliance-Ghana (GhanaAPA) and the West Africa Alcohol Policy Alliance (WAAPA) have commended the Supreme Court for upholding the Food and Drugs Authority’s (FDA) ban on celebrities/iconic persons' advertisements of alcohol products in Ghana.

They expressed their unflinching support for the FDA’s steadfastness in standing up to the bullying tactics of the big alcohol industry and allies for enacting the guidelines and putting maximum effort into defending the guidelines before the court.

This was in a statement jointly signed by the National Coordinator of GhanAPA, Alhaji Sulley Sumani, and the Programme Officer of WAAPA, Debora Sewoenam Agboado, copied to the Ghana News Agency on Monday.

They urged the FDA to build on this momentum and continue to prioritise the protection of consumers and vulnerable groups.

“We also call on celebrities in the entertainment industry and other fields to use their influence to champion public health and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), rather than promoting harmful products and interests driven by personal gain,” the statement said.

It also urged the Technical Working Group to seize this opportunity to develop stronger alcohol legislation for Ghana, aligning with international best practices and prioritising the health and well-being of citizens over profit and commercial interest.

The statement said the landmark ruling for health promotion was for the benefit of children, young people who accept and follow blindly the so-called celebrities without being able to judge the hidden intentions of the alcohol industry.

“This decision sets a precedent for prioritising public health over commercial interests. We urge stakeholders to continue to advocate policies and practices that prioritise the health and well-being of Ghana’s population,” it stated.

The statement said the ruling was a victory for all well-meaning Ghanaians and institutions, state-own and civil society organisations while congratulating the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service for a battle well fought.

“Our efforts are not to destroy the income for advertisers but to protect children and young persons from alcohol harm including death,” it said.