Health Advocates, Doctors, and Community Leaders to MTA: Don't Allow Alcohol Ads on Subways

Reversing alcohol ad ban on transit risks exposing youth and marginalized communities to harmful marketing as lawmakers stall on strengthened consumer protections for digital food and beverage marketing

NEW YORK, NY (06/25/2025) (readMedia)-- Today, the New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) board will vote on whether to weaken its ban on alcohol advertising - a policy first adopted in 2017 to shield children and other vulnerable riders from ads linked to increased underage drinking and public health harms. If approved, this reversal would once again expose riders - particularly youth, low-income New Yorkers, and communities of color - to harmful alcohol marketing in one of the most heavily used public transit systems in the country. Despite years of advocacy from health experts and impacted riders, the MTA's rushed decision-making process lacks transparency and fails to provide an opportunity for meaningful community engagement. The in-person hearing, scheduled for 9:00am at 2 Broadway, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10004, effectively limits the ability of working New Yorkers to participate and voice concerns.

This vote comes just days after Albany lawmakers failed to advance the Predatory Marketing Prevention Act aka PMPA (S397/A2584), legislation that would have restricted targeted, misleading food and beverage marketing aimed at children and adolescents - practices that drive early unhealthy eating habits and long-term health risks. Without guardrails like the PMPA, corporations are free to flood public spaces and digital platforms with marketing that endangers public health, particularly in communities already experiencing systemic health disparities.

"The MTA is putting revenue ahead of its responsibility to protect riders - especially young people and communities already burdened by systemic inequities. Reintroducing alcohol ads in transit spaces means bombarding kids and families with messages that normalize drinking and undermine health," said Dr. DeAnna Nara, CSPI Senior Policy Associate. "Meanwhile, the food and alcohol industries spend billions targeting communities of color and low-income residents with marketing for unhealthy products, while lawmakers delay commonsense safeguards like the Predatory Marketing Prevention Act. If the MTA moves forward with this reckless decision, it sends a clear message: corporate profits matter more than New Yorkers' health."

"New York youth are already subject to a variety of marketing on junk foods and substances like e-cigarettes and vapes that contribute to poor health outcomes like obesity, mental health and substance use disorders," said Dr. Charles Moon, MD, co-chair of the Public Policy & Advocacy Committee of the New York State American Academy of Pediatrics. "In terms of alcohol consumption in youth, research has shown a positive correlation between marketing exposure and alcohol consumption and receptivity. We certainly support public transportation and sustainable funding streams for the MTA, but they should not come at the expense of public and child health."

"Bronx Health REACH was proud to have been part of the grassroots effort that successfully advocated with the MTA to ban alcohol advertising from its transit system several years ago. It was true then and is true now, that alcohol advertisers specifically target susceptible communities like the Bronx. That MTA win meant one less battle for the Bronx and similar communities in the fight for a healthy environment. We cannot go back. We cannot retreat. It was only January of this year that then Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a new warning about the dangers of alcohol consumption. The lives of our people - especially our children - cannot be jeopardized by the marketers of this dangerous product," said Charmaine Ruddock, Director of Bronx Health REACH.

"The MTA's decision to allow alcohol advertising is a major setback for public health. Despite alcohol being a major contributor to mortality and morbidity, it often gets a free pass due to the might and wealth of the alcohol industry. We are just beginning to see declines in alcohol consumption among NYC's youngest residents. Allowing Big Alcohol to target children in public transit will erode these important public health gains," said Adrienne Abbate, Executive Director, Staten Island Partnership For Community Wellness.

"It is deeply disappointing that the MTA is reversing its alcohol advertising policy, without any meaningful input from the communities that will be most impacted by this decision. The New York City Metropolitan Area is facing the consequences of the hollowing out of federal public health infrastructure, not to mention looming cuts to health care and other social supports. More than ever, we need a whole-of-government approach at the state and local levels to protect the health and safety of the most vulnerable New Yorkers. Instead, the MTA appears to be ramping up its role as a government facilitator of unhealthy advertising, with little concern for the public health impacts," said Robert Pezzolesi, MPH, convener of the Interfaith Public Health Network.

BACKGROUND:

The Harms of Alcohol and the Risks of Transit-Based Advertising: Alcohol is a leading preventable cause of death and disease in the United States, and its health risks are often underestimated by the public. According to the 2025 U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk, alcohol consumption is now one of the leading preventable causes of cancer in the United States, responsible for nearly 100,000 cancer cases and more than 20,000 cancer deaths each year. Even one drink per day increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer, including breast, colorectal, liver, and oral cancers. Despite these well documented risks, the MTA is poised to allow alcohol companies to run digitally targeted ads across public transit, using programmatic platforms that enable behavioral and demographic targeting - especially of youth, low-income riders, and communities of color already disproportionately burdened by alcohol-related harms. Public transit should not serve as a channel for promoting products that contribute to chronic disease, addiction, and preventable death.

Why New York Needs Stronger Consumer Protections: The MTA's reversal underscores the urgent need for policies like the Predatory Marketing Prevention Act (PMPA), which would prohibit misleading youth-targeted advertising of health-harming products - including alcohol - on public property and digital platforms. Just as the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee urges Americans to drink less or not at all, and the Surgeon General calls for stronger public education and cancer warning labels, New York must act to protect residents and reduce corporate influence over environments where families and children travel, live, and learn.

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