VAST Ghana rejects GFA's call to lift alcohol sponsorship restrictions in sports, citing risks to children

Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development Ghana (VAST Ghana) has strongly rejected the Ghana Football Association's (GFA) renewed call for the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to lift restrictions on alcohol sponsorship in sports, warning that doing so could expose children to harmful alcohol marketing.

The civil society organisation, which is leading other groups opposed to the proposed changes, insists that Ghana must not sacrifice public health protections to create commercial opportunities for football.

The GFA President, Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, renewed the Association's position on November 4, 2026, arguing that the restrictions limit commercial opportunities and deprive Ghanaian football of potential investment.

The Association reportedly cited the loss of a proposed sponsorship agreement with Guinness Ghana, valued at more than US$5 million annually, as one of the consequences of the restrictions.

However, VAST Ghana believes the financial needs of football should not override the country's responsibility to protect children from alcohol exposure.

In a strongly worded press statement, the organisation acknowledged the need for sustainable sports financing but warned against allowing commercial interests to undermine public health safeguards.

“However, the financing of sports must not come at the expense of children’s health and protection,” the organisation stated.

It added: “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.”

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VAST Ghana argues that the FDA's restrictions should not be interpreted as a ban on alcohol sales or the industry's right to operate in Ghana.

Instead, it says the regulations are designed to limit children's exposure to alcohol advertising, particularly through activities such as football that attract significant numbers of young audiences.

The organisation cited the FDA Guidelines for Advertisement of Regulated Products (FDA/DRI/DMS/GL-ADV/2023/01), issued under Part Seven, Section 148 of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851).

Under Guideline 3.11.9(c), advertisements are prohibited from associating alcoholic beverages with any sporting activity.

Guideline 3.11.10 extends the restriction to activities requiring care and skill or involving physical danger, including sports, recreation, crafts and hobbies.

Guideline 3.12.1 also prohibits advertisements that directly or indirectly appeal to persons below 18 years or appear in media targeted at them.

VAST Ghana argues that football sponsorship is not simply a form of corporate philanthropy because companies receive advertising opportunities in exchange for their financial support.

“The Guidelines define 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’,” the statement explained.

It further argued that sponsorship creates opportunities for alcohol brands to reach children through football-related platforms.

“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.”

The organisation believes this exposure could undermine the purpose of the FDA's regulations and make football an avenue for promoting alcoholic beverages to young people.

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VAST Ghana has also challenged arguments surrounding the Ghana Sports Fund Act, 2025 (Act 1159), insisting that the legislation does not automatically authorise alcohol sponsorship in sporting activities.

According to the organisation, the FDA derives its authority to regulate alcohol advertising from the Public Health Act, 2012, rather than the Sports Fund Act.

It maintains that the Sports Fund Act does not expressly repeal, amend or suspend the FDA's existing regulatory powers.

The organisation specifically addressed Section 3(j) of Act 1159, which identifies 10 per cent of the total cost of beverage advertisements as one of the sources of money for the Sports Fund.

However, it noted that the provision does not define the term 'beverages' or specify the categories of beverages covered.

VAST Ghana cautioned against interpreting the provision as permission for alcoholic beverage advertising in sports.

“The revenue mobilisation provisions of the Sports Fund Act should be implemented consistently with the Public Health Act 2012 and the FDA Guidelines,” it stated.

The organisation believes both laws can operate together without undermining the country's public health objectives.

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The organisation also invoked a Supreme Court decision delivered on June 19, 2024, which dismissed a legal challenge to the FDA's directive restricting well-known personalities, including celebrities, from endorsing alcoholic beverages.

The court, by a majority of five to two, upheld the FDA's guidelines, which VAST Ghana said were found not to be unreasonably excessive or contrary to the 1992 Constitution.

The organisation believes the ruling reinforces the authority of the FDA to regulate alcohol advertising in the interest of public health.

It consequently urged Parliament not to support any changes that could weaken the regulator's mandate.

The statement was emphatic about the need to maintain the existing safeguards, arguing that the public health implications of relaxing the restrictions are significant.

VAST Ghana further backed its position with statistics highlighting alcohol consumption among adults and adolescents in Ghana.

According to the Ghana WHO STEPwise approach to NCD Risk Factor Surveillance (STEPS) 2023, 22.6 per cent of adults aged 18 to 69 were current alcohol drinkers.

More concerning, the organisation cited the survey as reporting that 12.6 per cent of adolescents aged 11 to 19 currently consume alcohol.

The Ghana Demographic and Health Survey 2022 also found that 11.5 per cent of boys aged 15 to 19 had consumed alcohol in the month preceding the survey.

VAST Ghana believes the figures demonstrate why preventive measures are necessary to protect young people from alcohol marketing.

“These figures demonstrate that underage alcohol consumption is a real public health concern requiring preventive action,” the organisation stated.

It added that the statistics show why government must protect children from marketing practices that could normalise alcohol consumption and influence their attitudes towards drinking.

Beyond the health concerns, the organisation argued that Ghana's constitutional and international human rights obligations require the protection of children from harmful commercial influences.

It cited the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), particularly Article 3, which establishes the best interests of the child as a primary consideration in all actions concerning children.

Article 17 calls on states to protect children from information and materials injurious to their well-being, while Article 24 recognises every child's right to the highest attainable standard of health.

VAST Ghana also referenced the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which requires states to prioritise children's best interests and protect their health and development.

At the national level, the organisation pointed to Article 28(1)(d) of the 1992 Constitution, which requires children and young persons to receive special protection against exposure to physical and moral hazards.

It argued that these provisions must guide Parliament's consideration of any proposal that could increase children's exposure to alcohol advertising through sports.

The organisation warned that commercial opportunities and revenue mobilisation should not be prioritised over the constitutional responsibility to protect children from preventable harm.

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VAST Ghana also warned that the implications of alcohol promotion extend beyond football, particularly given the contribution of alcohol consumption to non-communicable diseases.

The organisation identified cancers, cardiovascular diseases and liver disease among the conditions associated with alcohol consumption.

It argued that consistently associating alcohol brands with football, entertainment and social achievement could normalise drinking among young people and contribute to future health challenges.

The statement also referenced the government's efforts to strengthen healthcare financing through the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as MahamaCares, and the Free Primary Healthcare initiative.

According to VAST Ghana, these programmes should be complemented by policies that reduce exposure to preventable health risks.

“It would be inconsistent to expand investments in healthcare while simultaneously weakening measures that protect children from exposure to products associated with long-term disease,” the organisation stated.

It maintained that preventing early alcohol initiation could reduce future healthcare needs and protect public resources.

Despite its opposition to alcohol sponsorship, VAST Ghana acknowledged that football and other sporting disciplines require sustainable financial support.

The organisation argued that Ghana has several alternative sources of funding that can be strengthened without exposing children to alcohol marketing.

It referenced the Ghana Sports Fund Act, which identifies various revenue streams, including parliamentary allocations, special sports lotteries, sports betting fees and charges, gate proceeds, athlete transfers, sponsorship proceeds, sports competitions, certification fees, grants, donations and investments.

VAST Ghana called for improved accountability in sports financing, stronger revenue mobilisation and greater efforts to attract corporate sponsors from sectors that do not create comparable public health risks.

The organisation also cited the Ministry of Finance's Annual Tax Revenue Performance Report 2025, which recorded domestic excise revenue of GH¢1.56 billion, approximately US$125.70 million.

It noted that the revenue includes excise taxes from alcoholic beverages and proposed that sports could benefit from a share of such revenue.

Labram Musah, speaking for VAST Ghana, said the organisation was prepared to engage the GFA and relevant government institutions to find a sustainable funding arrangement.

He said:

“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, etc. That offer is still open, and it is now worth more than the deal they lost.”

The proposal presents an alternative to direct alcohol branding in football, with VAST Ghana arguing that revenue generated from alcohol taxation could help support sports without exposing children to promotional campaigns.

The organisation has called on Parliament, the FDA, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, sports federations, civil society organisations, traditional and community leaders, and the media to uphold policies that protect children from alcohol-related harm.

It also reiterated its willingness to work with the GFA, the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, the Ministry of Health and the FDA on a sponsorship framework that allows football to attract commercial support without turning the game into a platform for alcohol marketing.

VAST Ghana concluded its position with a strong appeal for the country to prioritise public health in its sports financing decisions.

“Ghana must invest in sports without investing in the normalisation of alcohol consumption because children's right to health should not be undermined due to commercial interests.”