The Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development, Ghana (VAST-Ghana), has called on the government to urgently adopt and implement the World Health Organisation (WHO) SAFER Technical Package as the nation’s official alcohol control strategy.
In a statement by Mr Labram Musah, Executive Director of VAST-Ghana, the organisation emphasised that implementing SAFER is both a moral and developmental imperative.
The group also urged the government to expedite the completion of the draft National Alcohol Regulations to regulate alcohol consumption and safeguard citizens’ lives.
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According to VAST-Ghana, the SAFER framework aligns with Ghana’s commitments under the WHO Global Strategy and the Global Alcohol Action Plan 2030, which identifies at least 10 areas for action to prevent and reduce alcohol-related harm.
The framework includes the “Three Best Buys” in alcohol policy, regulating availability, affordability, and marketing, and emphasises community mobilisation to prevent underage drinking and support alcohol-free environments for youth and other at-risk groups.
“Implementing SAFER will save lives, strengthen the health system, improve productivity, reduce non-communicable disease deaths and illnesses, and limit economic losses caused by alcohol harm,” the statement said.
VAST-Ghana further recommended a review and increase in excise taxes on all alcoholic beverages, with rates tied to alcohol content and regularly adjusted for inflation and income growth. The organisation also called for minimum unit pricing to curb the sale of cheap, high-strength alcohol.
To strengthen road safety, the group urged lowering the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit from 0.08 percent to 0.05 percent for all drivers, introducing zero tolerance for young and novice drivers, and enforcing roadside sobriety checkpoints and random breath testing. It also recommended a comprehensive ban on alcohol industry sponsorship and involvement in public education or road safety campaigns to prevent conflicts of interest.
Highlighting the growing public health burden, VAST-Ghana noted that alcohol consumption in Ghana has become increasingly pervasive among children, young people, women, and low-income communities, driven by aggressive marketing and easy access.
Ghana’s STEPwise Survey shows over 30 percent of adults consume alcohol, and VAST-Ghana observed children as young as 10 being exposed to the substance.
The statement warned that alcohol continues to contribute to premature deaths, road traffic crashes, domestic violence, reduced educational outcomes, non-communicable diseases, and mental health conditions, calling for urgent policy action to mitigate these harms.
