{"id":100814,"date":"2015-03-19T13:28:27","date_gmt":"2015-03-19T13:28:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=100814"},"modified":"2015-03-19T13:28:27","modified_gmt":"2015-03-19T13:28:27","slug":"fda-bans-kwame-dzokoto-from-advertising-hard-liquor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=100814","title":{"rendered":"FDA bans Kwame Dzokoto from advertising hard liquor"},"content":{"rendered":"

Popular entertainer, Kwame Dzokoto has told Citi News<\/strong> he has been banned by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) from advertising any alcoholic beverage.<\/p>\n

This follows a threat by the FDA to sanction and fine celebrities, GHC 25, 000 who advertise for alcoholic beverages.<\/p>\n

[contextly_sidebar id=”zGKHlnF4Ten7x55ITCCm4TWzz0UYmLoC”]The FDA says it issued the threat to deter other celebrities including Kwame Dzokoto.<\/p>\n

According to the FDA\u2019s Head of Public Relations, James Lartey, the rationale behind the ban is to prevent celebrities from influencing children to patronize alcoholic beverages.<\/p>\n

He however clarified that \u201cit is not all celebrities but we are talking about celebrities who have the potential of winning the hearts of children.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo if it\u2019s a celebrity who is more inclined to adults, we don\u2019t have a problem but when it comes to children under 18 years, if you are a celebrity and there is a potential of attracting them, then we have an issue,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

But Kwame Dzokoto who is very unhappy with the ban was of the opinion that the FDA has been hasty in enforcing the directive.<\/p>\n

He indicated that doing voice overs for radio adverts and appearing in television adverts is the only business he relies on to survive so the ban will affect him.<\/p>\n

According to him, he has been in this business for years so the FDA could have called him to discuss the issue to find a way forward rather than placing a ban on his operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow they say I should not do even radio. Voice over is what I do and live on but they say I should not do radio advert,\u201d he lamented.<\/p>\n

Dzokoto however acknowledged that he has no capacity to challenge the framers of the law \u201cbecause of course, I will not be happy if somebody is influencing my child into alcoholism in such a manner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe laws are made for people so we should not be too harsh\u2026so if I do a job for client, the client sent the advert for an approval and they will say they will not approve it because of this guy in it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you go to the streets of Accra right now, there are a lot of people selling alcohol but it is against the law and it is not that the AMA is not aware but they have given a human face to it,\u201d he remarked.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By: Efua Idan Osam\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
\nFollow @osamidan<\/a>
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