The Metropolitan Transportation Agency has lifted its ban on alcohol advertising, a decision that has raised eyebrows among public health advocates who see it as a troubling shift toward generating more revenue.
This change, approved last month, overturns the ban that had been in place since 2017.
The reaction has been swift, with public health workers protesting outside MTA headquarters ahead of a board meeting. Julia McCarthy, a senior program director at the New York Health Foundation, expressed her concerns, saying, “Promoting alcohol is a truly strange decision for the authorities overseeing bridges, tunnels, and busways.”
The MTA is anticipating a revenue boost of between $7 million and $10 million annually from these ads. However, McCarthy warns about the negative impact of alcohol advertising on young people and those in recovery from addiction. “Alcohol ads encourage adolescents to start drinking more quickly and in greater quantities,” she noted, adding that they can trigger cravings among those trying to stay sober.
MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber reassured reporters that the advertising will still be somewhat restricted. Notably, the ads will be blocked from digital billboards during times when students are commuting.
Documents from the agency indicate that alcohol ads can be displayed even if they’re not “read within 500 feet of a school, playground, or place of worship.” However, they will be allowed at major commuter rail hubs and stations adjacent to venues where alcohol is sold legally.
Additionally, advertising trains will be permitted on the S-shuttle line between Times Square and Grand Central. “We’ve implemented some narrowly tailored exceptions to ensure the ban’s original intent is upheld,” Lieber explained.
This decision represents a shift from 2017, when MTA leaders viewed the ban as a “big step forward.”
Board member Ira Greenberg highlighted that these ads could easily be seen by countless individuals, including children, stating, “These ads can be outside the bus where tens of thousands of people can see them.”
The MTA estimates that the revenue from alcohol ads will only be around $2.5 million yearly, which MTA chairman Joe Lhota believes can be easily offset.
In a twist, McCarthy raised concerns about the potential for a return of cigarette ads, banned since 1992. “With the MTA welcoming the alcohol industry, New Yorkers are now trying to question whether a cigarette or vaping company will come next,” she commented.
