‘The Lioness’ of Africa as she is mostly referred to, commented on the ongoing debate on whether the decision by the FDA to ban alcohol advertisement by celebrities is the right thing.
Speaking at the Afternoon Show on TV3, Wiyaala asked the FDA to put together some rules and regulations to regulate the promotion and influence of alcohol. She is of the view that, the outright ban is not on the right direction.
Wiyaala said; “I personally don’t want to be a brand ambassador for alcohol because there’s a fine line between influence and promotion… influence is more of an action from my point and promoting is a more of a choice. FDA should really come out with rules and regulations instead of just banning. They should come up and just explain into details why.”
In its guidelines for food advertisements released on February 1, 2016, the FDA states that “alcoholic beverage advertising shall not feature any well-known personality or professional.”
According to the authorities, the purpose of the rule was to stop minors from developing an alcohol addiction as a result of celebrity influence.
The FDA added that the prohibition was in line with a World Health Organization (WHO) regulation and that it was an effort to keep kids and young adults from falling victim to alcoholism.
