The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) last month announced that starting July 1, alcohol advertisements will be prohibited from appearing on all of its property, including in subway cars, trains and buses.
The move is in response to pressure from the community and several substance−abuse coalition groups, according to Jonathan Davis, interim general manager of the MBTA.
"We think that we could contribute to a better community by not having alcohol ads on our system," Davis told the Daily. "It's the right thing to do."
Davis believes that the alcohol ads might have a negative impact on the young people who depend on the MBTA for transportation to and from school every day.
"It is a social responsibility of ours to make sure that we give the youth who ride our system an appropriate environment to get to where they're going," he explained.
He added that the MBTA does not expect any loss in revenue from the ban.
Alcohol will join tobacco on the list of substances that MBTA authorities have disallowed for advertising.
Alcohol ads can currently be seen on most MBTA facilities, such as stations and vehicles, Davis said.
Various youth coalition and substance abuse groups expressed their concerns about alcohol ads to MBTA officials, and members of the transportation system's board decided to comply with requests to remove these ads, Davis said.
"It's been an ongoing discussion over several years, but there has probably been a lot more discussion over the past three to four months," he said. "The board listened [to the coalition groups], the secretary listened, and I listened."
Massachusetts ranks within the top ten states for the rate of underage drinking. Community health specialist and Supporting an Alcohol Ad Free Environment in Massachusetts (SAFE MA) Representative Stacy Carruth emphasized that the MBTA's decision to ban alcohol ads is a milestone for the substance abuse movement.
State Representative Martin Walsh (D−Dorchester) last year filed a bill that would ban alcohol ads on all state property. If passed, the bill would mandate that alcohol ads could no longer be displayed in public areas like state highways and parks.
"We're really hopeful that it's going to pass," Carruth told the Daily. "It's wonderful that the MBTA has taken the step to put the ban in place before the bill goes through."
Walsh commended the MBTA for taking such a proactive approach in regard to the underage drinking problem.
"Young people aren't going to be surrounded every minute by alcohol ads now," Walsh told the Daily. "I think that in itself is positive."
The more than 35 organizations that actively advocated for the cessation of alcohol advertising include the Allston−Brighton Substance Abuse Task Force and SAFE MA, according to Carruth.
She added that SAFE MA has been raising awareness about the connection between exposure to alcohol ads and underage drinking for nearly seven years.
"We have been trying to demonstrate the support that exists for this idea and to work with decision−makers and legislators to move the ban forward," she said.
In order to bring attention to the issue, SAFE MA collected data from T−riders about their opinions on both the alcohol ads and youth subjection to those ads, she said. The organization also procured over 1,000 petition signatures and solicited the help of youth coalition groups to send postcards directly to the MBTA manager.
The Allston−Brighton Substance Abuse Task Force made a presentation in December to Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary and CEO Richard Davey and other board members in which young students convinced the MBTA that the alcohol ads are detrimental to the community, Carruth said.
Carruth expressed appreciation for this move on the part of MBTA officials, especially in light of the current precarious economic climate.
"We really applaud them for trying to make this state a better place," she said.
