In 2017 the NYC MTA voted to ban alcohol ads on subways, buses and trains, a result of a city wide grassroots campaign of Building Alcohol Ad-Free Transit (BAAFT) and Bronx Health REACH coalition members who gathered petition signatures, held rallies, and provided testimonies at various MTA public hearings prior to the Board's voting. But this was recently reversed by the MTA board. Citing a $7 million annual loss in revenue attributed to the ban, the Board voted to bring the alcohol ads back. In response to this vote, Bronx Health REACH, Interfaith Public Health Network and other medical and faith leaders held a rally about the public health risks of alcohol marketing on public transit, particularly its impact on youth, people in recovery, and communities of color, and called for the MTA board to reinstate its 2017 ban on alcohol advertising across subways, buses, and train stations.
"BHR 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," said Charmaine Ruddock in a press release prior to the MTA's vote to reverse the ban.
Fox5 NY spoke with BHR's Charmaine Ruddock about the MTA reversing the ban.
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