By Albert Allotey
Accra, Nov. 09, GNA – Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Ghana have expressed support for the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to reject the lift of restrictions on alcohol sponsorships in sport activities.
The CSOs, led by the Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development (VAST Ghana), said this would help protect children from alcohol exposure in sports.
A joint statement signed by Mr Labram Musah, the Executive Director of VAST Ghana and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said financing of sports must not come at the expense of children’s health and protection.
“Ghana must not weaken public health safeguards to accommodate the commercial and other vested interests of an industry whose products contribute to preventable diseases, injuries, disabilities and premature deaths,” the statement said.
It stated that the restriction is not a ban on alcohol, nor on the alcohol industry’s right to trade in Ghana and that the FDA issued the restrictions under the authority granted to it by Part Seven, Section 148 of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851) and its guidelines.
The statement said the guidelines in the Act defined sponsorship as ‘any arrangement under which a person or a company helps fund a radio or television programme, or other events, in return for an opportunity to advertise’.
“Sponsorship of football is therefore not philanthropy with a logo attached. It is the purchase of advertising space on children’s shirts, on the boards behind the goal they sit behind, and in the broadcasts they watch. These provisions provide a clear basis for protecting children from alcohol promotion through sports and related activities,” the statement pointed out.
The statement said the GFA’s appeal must therefore be considered within the broader legal responsibility of the FDA to regulate the advertisement of products that could harm public health.
It added that, “The authority to regulate alcohol advertising does not originate from the Ghana Sports Fund Act, 2025 (Act 1159). It derives from the Public Health Act 2012 (Act 851), which specifically empowers the FDA to regulate advertisements of alcoholic beverages.”
The statement urged that the revenue mobilization provisions of the Sports Fund Act
should be implemented consistently with the Public Health Act 2012 and the FDA Guidelines, stating that, “This is important because the public health implications of weakening these restrictions are significant.”
It called on Parliament to stand firm and refuse any compromises that would undermine the FDA’s statutory public health mandate.
Giving statistics on alcohol consumption among children and adolescent in Ghana, the statement said the Ghana’s STEP’s 2023 reported that 22.6 per cent of adults aged 18 to 69 years were current alcohol drinkers.
“More concerning is the evidence of alcohol use among school-going adolescents. The findings further indicate that 12.6 per cent of adolescents aged 11 to 19 years currently consume alcohol,” it indicated.
It added that the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey 2022 also reported that 11.5 per cent of boys aged 15 to 19 years had consumed alcohol in the month preceding the survey.
“These figures demonstrate that underage alcohol consumption is a real public health concern requiring preventive action. They also show why government must protect children from marketing practices that can normalise alcohol consumption and influence attitudes towards drinking,” it stated.
The statement urged all stakeholders, including Parliament, the FDA, the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, sports federations, CSOs, traditional and community leaders, and the media, to uphold policies that protect children from alcohol-related harm.
“Ghana must invest in sports without investing in the normalization of alcohol consumption because children’s right to health should not be undermined due to commercial interests.”
The CSOs, led by VAST Ghana, reiterated their willingness to work with the GFA, the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, the MoH, the FDA and other relevant stakeholders on a sponsorship framework that protects children.
They stated: “One that channels commercial support into football without turning the game into a delivery system for alcohol marketing,” the statement said, adding, “If the Association needs revenue, we will walk with them to the Ministry of Finance and argue for a share of excise tax revenue.
“Let the product pay for the game without putting its name on our screens, children’s shirts, among others. That offer is still open, and it is now worth more than the deal they lost.”
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah