Health Experts and Community Leaders Urge MTA Board to Protect NYers with Renewed Alcohol Ban

NEW YORK, NY (07/30/2025) (readMedia)-- Last month, the MTA board quietly voted to reverse its longtime policy restricting alcohol marketing on subways and buses. Today, in response, health experts and community leaders called for the Board to reinstate its 2017 ban on transit alcohol ads, and protect vulnerable riders from the costs of alcohol addiction. Led by the Interfaith Public Health Network, advocates stressed the grave health risks of these ads for New Yorkers of color, youth riders, and residents in recovery from alcohol use.

WATCH a recording of the press conference here.

Each year, alcohol-related healthcare expenses cost New Yorkers over $843 per person, and total over $12.6 billion statewide, according to data from the 2025 NYS Alcohol Policy Summit. Years of studies illustrate the disproportionate health impact on youth and riders of color face after exposure to alcohol ads, including excessive alcohol consumption and chronic disease. In 2020 alone, Medicaid spending on alcohol-related claims accounted for $129 million. With alcohol ads back on transit and extensive Medicaid cuts on the way, thousands of residents faced increased risk of addiction against a diminished healthcare budget.

As part of the Building Alcohol Ad-Free Transit (BAAFT) campaign, citywide health and community leaders successfully petitioned MTA to ban alcohol marketing on subways and buses back in 2017. After four years of direct advocacy and collaboration with elected officials, IPHN members argued for the then-new policy, demonstrating the links between exposure to transit alcohol ads, underage drinking, and pervasive racial health disparities.

"The decision to bring back transit alcohol ads directly harms all New Yorkers. But no group of people will directly suffer its impacts more than youth, commuters of color, and residents recovering from alcohol problems. Decades of evidence illuminate alcohol's deadly effects on community health - the MTA knows this. But in an effort to recoup meager revenue margins, the Board has chosen to undo its progress and once again risk New Yorkers' lives with predatory alcohol marketing. We are urging the MTA to protect the health of all riders and restrict these dangerous ads," said Robert Pezzolesi, Convener, Interfaith Public Health Network.

"Public transit is a lifeline for working families, youth, and vulnerable New Yorkers, and it should not be used as a platform to promote products that pose long-term risks to public health. I stand with the Interfaith Public Health Network, medical professionals, and faith leaders in urging the MTA to reinstate its 2017 alcohol advertising ban and prioritize the well-being of the riders it serves," said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson.

About Interfaith Public Health Network: The Interfaith Public Health Network (IPHN) facilitates impactful relationships between faith actors, public health practitioners, community organizers, and science and policy experts to advance public health. IPHN formed the Building Alcohol Ad-Free Transit (BAAFT) campaign to advocate for the removal of alcoholic beverages on MTA vehicles and property, successfully resulting in the agency's 2017 transit alcohol marketing ban and New York City's 2019 copycat ban targeting ads on city property.

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