The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) of Ghana has expressed concerns that social media, entertainment content, and online sales platforms are hindering tobacco control efforts in the country. According to Dr. Martin Kusi, Acting Director of the Tobacco and Substances of Abuse Directorate of the FDA, these channels are being used to promote tobacco and other nicotine products, making it difficult to identify and document possible violations.
Dr. Kusi made these remarks at a two-day training workshop for journalists and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Accra, under the Tobacco Policy Action Fund for Africa Project, initiated by Management Sciences for Health. The workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of participants to monitor emerging forms of tobacco promotion and gather information to support the enforcement of Ghana's tobacco control laws.
The workshop was necessitated by the growing popularity of substances, including Shisha and other nicotine products, among the youth, despite efforts to curb their use. Dr. Kusi stressed that information gathered through monitoring activities needed to be properly documented and channeled through the appropriate reporting and referral mechanisms to facilitate enforcement.
Dr. Joana Ansong, Country Representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), noted that Ghana's tobacco control landscape is changing with the emergence of shisha, electronic cigarettes, vapes, and other novel nicotine products. She stated that Ghana's national smoking prevalence is relatively low at 4.8%, but some regions, such as the Upper West Region, have recorded significantly higher rates, approaching 10%.
Dr. Ansong also highlighted the growing appeal of shisha among young people, young adults, and females, particularly due to its attractive flavors. She drew attention to electronic cigarettes and vapes designed in forms resembling cartoon characters, toys, school supplies, and other everyday objects, which could appeal particularly to young people.
According to Dr. Ansong, tobacco use remains one of the leading preventable causes of death globally, with about 1.2 billion people using tobacco worldwide and approximately seven million people dying annually from tobacco-related causes. She further noted that tobacco use contributes significantly to cardiovascular diseases, stroke, chronic respiratory diseases, and more than 20 types of cancers.
Ghana's tobacco control framework is anchored in the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851) and the Tobacco Control Regulations, 2016 (L.I. 2247), which prohibit tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship. The FDA and WHO are working together to strengthen the capacity of stakeholders to monitor and enforce these regulations, particularly in digital spaces where tobacco promotion is increasingly prevalent.
Key points
- The FDA and WHO are collaborating to strengthen tobacco control efforts in Ghana.
- Social media and online platforms are being used to promote tobacco products in Ghana.
- Ghana's tobacco control laws prohibit advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of tobacco products.
