The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has carried out a major enforcement operation in Accra, confiscating large quantities of illegal tobacco products just days before World No Tobacco Day on May 31.
Conducted with the support of the police, the raid targeted six areas, which included: Kwabenya, East Legon, Abeka, Fadama, Tabora, and Achimota.
While two premises were closed during the inspection, the team uncovered a significant cache of unregistered and unauthorized tobacco products.
Items seized included 15 brands of illicit shisha flavours, 21 brands of unregistered vapes, as well as various cigars, cigarettes, tobacco wraps, and nitrous oxide canisters.
Jemima Odonkor, head of the FDA’s Tobacco Products Department, said that the products had been smuggled into the country through unapproved routes.
“These items were illegally brought in, and those involved in their distribution will face legal consequences, we will enforce all necessary legal and regulatory actions,” she said.
The operation forms part of the FDA’s broader strategy to rid the market of harmful and unregulated tobacco products.
In addition to these crackdowns, the Authority plans to intensify public education campaigns, particularly in schools to raise awareness about the dangers of tobacco use and related substances.
The FDA is also encouraging the public to report suspicious tobacco-related activity, reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding public health and limiting access to harmful products, especially among young people.
