Philadelphia City Council Bans Alcohol Advertising on City Property

December 2003

Philadelphia City Council approved a bill prohibiting the advertisment of alcohol on City-owned or controlled property. Mayor John Street signed the bill into law, and the most noticeable impact will be on Philadelphia bus shelters which currently allow alcohol advertising.

" This is a great victory for the children of Philadelphia," according to Reverend Jesse W. Brown Jr., Executive Director of the National Association of African Americans for Positive Imagery. "The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth has documented the overexposure of underage youth to alcohol advertising in television, radio, and magazines. They have also shown that African-American and Hispanic youth are exposed to even more alcohol advertising. With this action, the City of Philadelphia has shown that they are not willing to contribute to this major public health concern."

The current bus shelter contract with Viacom Outdoor will expire in 2005, and any new contract will include a provision prohibiting the advertisement of alcohol products, thus giving Philadelphia an alcohol-free system for the estimated 32,000 school students who use SEPTA as their primary means of transportation to and from school.

Read the Declaration from the City of Philadelphia - PDF