Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development Ghana (VAST Ghana) has called for nationwide enforcement and laboratory testing of the unregistered “Cigarette Rod Lollipop” recently seized from sellers in Accra.

In a statement issued on September 1, 2026, VAST Ghana commended the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Ghana Police Service and National Security for seizing quantities of the product from the Accra Central Business District and Makola Market and arresting one suspect.

The FDA has reportedly confirmed that the product is unregistered, with its composition unknown, and advised the public not to purchase or consume it.

VAST Ghana, however, said enforcement should extend beyond Accra, including markets, shops and school environments across the country.

The organisation is also calling for laboratory analysis of seized samples to establish their chemical composition and for the findings to be made public.

According to VAST Ghana, stronger border controls are also needed to prevent the further importation of similar products.

The organisation cited Ghana’s Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), particularly provisions relating to products that resemble or are associated with tobacco products. It also referenced the Tobacco Control Regulations, 2016 (L.I. 2247) and Article 16 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which addresses tobacco-shaped sweets and other products appealing to minors.

VAST Ghana said the reappearance of cigarette-shaped confectionery is not a new development, noting that the then Food and Drugs Board issued a public warning in 2010 against “smoke candies” designed to resemble cigarettes.

The organisation described the latest product as a child-protection and public-health concern, arguing that products designed to mimic cigarettes could normalize smoking among children and young people.

It further urged public figures to avoid glamorising tobacco use, saying celebrity influence can contribute to the normalization of smoking among young people.

VAST Ghana is asking the FDA, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ghana Education Service and other relevant agencies to intensify surveillance, strengthen border monitoring, test seized products and determine their compliance with Ghana’s tobacco-control laws.

The organisation also called for sustained public education targeting parents, teachers, vendors and communities on products that may normalize tobacco use.

“Ghana’s hard-won gains in tobacco control must not be undermined by products that turn cigarettes into sweets,” VAST Ghana Executive Director Labram Musah said.

“The FDA’s recent action is welcome; now it must be sustained, expanded and backed by testing, border control and strong public education. The protection of children must take precedence over commercial interests,” he added.