Ghana plans to toughen rules on marketing and advertising of alcohol

The parliamentary bill is to be introduced by the Food and Drugs Authority and will set guidelines on how alcohol products can be marketed to the public. This will likely include restrictions on broadcast times, sponsorships and promotional activities that target vulnerable groups of consumers. 

In Ghana there are growing concerns among health experts and advocacy groups about perceived rising levels of alcohol consumption and its associated social and health consequences. 

Bill foreshadowed during a media briefing 

The impending bill, known as the Alcohol Control Regulations Bill, was foreshadowed during a parliamentary leadership media briefing at Parliament House in Accra last week. 

According to a report by the Ghana News Agency, Mahama Ayariga, the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business in Parliament, said the proposed legislation seeks to protect public health, particularly among young people, by curbing excessive exposure to alcohol promotions. 

“This initiative is not about stifling business, but about safeguarding the wellbeing of our citizens,” he is quoted as saying by the news agency. 

The bill is expected to come before the country’s parliament in the next few weeks and various stakeholders – including civil society organisations, health professionals and industry players – are expected to be consulted during the legislative process. 

Great controls elsewhere in Africa 

Ghana is not the only African country to seek greater controls over alcohol consumption.  

In 2025, Kenya introduced stricter regulations – including raising the drinking age to 21, banning online deliveries, restricting alcohol advertisements accessible to children, mandating health warnings on alcoholic products, and banning outlets selling alcohol from operating within 300 metres of schools, places of worship and residential areas.