After an eight-year hiatus, ads for alcoholic beverages are set to return to New York City’s subways and buses, following a decision by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) board on Wednesday. The updated guidelines allow advertisers to once again promote alcohol products across the city’s public transit system.
The move is aimed at bolstering the MTA’s operating budget, with officials estimating that the longstanding ban has cost the agency between $7 and $10 million in potential annual revenue since its adoption in 2017. That policy had been put in place amid growing concern over underage exposure and targeted marketing practices.
Still, the revised framework doesn’t mark a full return to the pre-2017 status quo. Advertising content will be subject to new geographic, temporal, and content-based restrictions. “Thanks to updated digital technology, we’re now in a position to tailor advertising based on context,” said Jessie Lazarus, who chairs the MTA’s advertising review committee and also serves as deputy chief of commercial ventures.
Under the new rules, digital alcohol ads will be blacked out during typical school commuting hours — from 6 to 8 a.m. and 2 to 5 p.m. on days when school is in session. Additionally, no alcohol-related billboards will be permitted within 500 feet of schools, playgrounds, or houses of worship.
That restriction also applies to signage posted on the exterior of transit stations. Advertisers will be required to certify that their campaigns comply with the 500-foot buffer zone before receiving MTA approval.
Lazarus noted that the previous total ban often led to the rejection of ambiguous ads, including those only tangentially related to alcohol. “We end up excluding ads showing restaurants where there’s a glass of wine — maybe — on the table, spending time debating whether it’s actually wine or just grape juice,” she said. “It’s a level of rigidity that’s become more costly than effective.”
The policy shift has drawn immediate criticism from public health advocates and medical professionals, who warn it could normalize alcohol consumption among vulnerable groups, particularly young riders.
“New York youth are already subject to a variety of marketing on junk foods and substances like e-cigarettes and sugary drinks, all of which contribute to poor health outcomes like obesity, mental health issues, and substance use disorders,” said Dr. Charles Moon, co-chair of the public policy and advocacy committee at the New York State chapter of the 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.”
Despite the pushback, some commuters are unfazed by the change. “I actually do read train ads, and I do enjoy a good beer from time to time,” said Tom, a Queens resident, speaking to amNY. “So the ads are no bother to me.”
According to MTA officials, all new ads will still have to meet the agency’s standard advertising guidelines, which prohibit offensive, misleading, or excessively explicit content. Approved campaigns will appear across a variety of formats, including digital displays, station signage, and full train wraps.
