Wiyaala, an Afropop musician from Ghana, responded to the debate surrounding the Food and Drug Authority’s decision to outlaw celebrity endorsements of alcohol.
Wiyaala stated that she disagreed with the Authority’s directive and insisted that it was the incorrect course of action.
Instead of completely banning advertisements, she urged the FDA to use celebrities to positively educate the public about the risks associated with alcohol consumption.
“Instead of just banning it, use us to actually educate people on alcohol. Use as positively, they should not only look at the negatives. They can actually use celebrities to educate people on alcohol not just for consumption.
“They should think deep about it. Sometimes the solution is not just running away from it but tackle the problem and you will find good solutions,” Wiyaala said on The Afternoon Show on TV3, June 24.
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According to Wiyaala, Ghanaians are dissatisfied with the FDA’s explanation of the directive and the guideline itself is a little ambiguous.
Wiyaala stressed that there is a substantial difference between influencing and promoting, which she claimed had led to an imprecision in the FDA’s guidance.
She encouraged the Authority to establish guidelines and policies instead of imposing a complete prohibition, as specified in their mandate.
“I personally don’t want to be a brand ambassador for alcohol because there’s a fine line between influence and promotion… influence is more of an action from my point and promoting is a more of a choice. FDA should really come out with rules and regulations instead of just banning. They should come up and just explain into details why,” she noted on Monday, June 24.
