Ghana bans second hand knickers, used handkerchiefs and mattresses

November 28th, 2010 - 8:33 pm ICT by Aishwarya Bhatt  

Accra, Nov 28 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Trade regulators in Ghana have banned the sale of second hand knickers. The regulation will become effective from February 2011.

The trade regulator’s officials determined that things like second hand knickers, used handkerchiefs and even mattresses pose a health hazard for the second hand buyer as they may be laden with bacteria and germs from usage. So the Ghana Standards Board has banned them. There was a law to this effect, which was drafted 16 years ago, but it was never seriously implemented until now.

However the traders in Ghana have met the news with disdain. They are worried that if the law is seriously implemented in February 2011 then their business could see a drop in sales. And this is because the second hand stuff is generally imported from markets in Europe and they are way cheaper than the ones, which are made locally in Ghana. So the people prefer to buy the cheaper variety ignoring the risk of germs and diseases that they might be making themselves susceptible to.

And Ghana is not an isolated country in this regard, as other countries in Africa also import used undergarments and then sell them at cheap prices. It remains to be seen if other countries will also follow Ghana’s policy or not.

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