MTA Considering Ban on Alcohol Ads
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is considering removing all alcohol advertisements — a move that could cost the agency around 2.6 million in revenue.
The decision to eliminate these advertisements from subway platforms, cars, and on billboards and signs stems from pressure from activists who believe the ads are harmful to riders.
Kiley Cortez, a South Bronx-resident who works for Sports Foundation, Inc., an alcohol prevention program for youth, says the signs are detrimental to her community.
“They add on to the existing issues with health and substance abuse, especially the youth that uses the MTA at least 5 days a week,” Cortez said during a MTA board meeting on September 27, 2017.
“Children see it, and it’s time for us to recognize that and create healthy communities,” said Rev. Edwin Chinery from the Church of the Ascension on 5th Ave & W 10th St added on the issue.
Youth between the ages of 12 to 20 drink 11% of all alcohol consumed in the United States, and excessive drinking is the cause of more than 4,300 deaths among underage drinkers each year, according the Center for Disease Control.
“OUTFRONT Media [the MTA’s advertising contractor] brags to advertisers that it delivers a completely captive audience with messages that are impossible to ignore,” said Kristen Strader, speaking on behalf of the Building Alcohol Ad-Free Transit coalition.
“The public health and health equity costs of continuing to allow alcohol companies to target vulnerable populations through the public transit system in New York City greatly outweighs any amount of revenue that the MTA would make from those ads,” she said in an interview.
Marilyn Aguirre-Molin, a faculty member of the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health, says the advertisements target specific demographics in underprivileged communities.
“We’re still dealing with issues of ads on subways that are very clearly targeted at diverse communities of color,” Aguirre-Molin told board members. “Please establish a policy that will institutionalize ads and messages that you put in the subways that do not compromise New York City’s public health and that of the youth.”
Chairman Joseph Lhota said that board member Andrew Albert’s request for the geographic breakdown of these particular ads is currently being investigated. Board members hope that this information will show if minorities are being targeted with these ads.
Board member Veronica Vanterpool made a motion during the board meeting to consider an amendment to ban alcohol ads, which she later withdrew in order to give the committee more time to evaluate areas affected by these ads.
“We will come back with the recommendation from management, get all the information long before the October meeting,” Lhota said on prospect of removing the ads and the timeframe for the decision.
Board member Lawrence Schwartz suggested halting any additional advertising items relating to alcohol in the next thirty days until the decision was put to a vote.
