Coalition to Ban Alcohol Ads from Public Property to Rally In Support of New L.A. Alcohol Ad-Free Bus Bench Contract
6,000+ CITY OWNED BUS BENCHES COULD BE FREE OF ALCOHOL ADS
NEXT STEP: Introduce An Ordinance to Ban Alcohol Ads from All City-Owned Property
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being released by Alcohol Justice:
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110815/DC52440LOGO)
What: Rally and News Conference
When: August 16, 2011 9:00 a.m.
Where: Los Angeles City Hall
Who: Partial list of invited participants…
- Richard Alarcon, Councilmember, City of Los Angeles, District 7
- Ruben Rodriguez, Executive Director, Pueblo y Salud, Inc., Chairman of the Coalition to Ban Alcohol Ads From Public Property and Co-Chairman of the Los Angeles Council on Alcohol Policy (LA-CAP).
- Scott Martin, President, Martin Outdoor Media, LLC
- John O. Whitaker, Jr., C.A.T.C., A.W.A.R.E. Liaison/Alumni, Coordinator Tarzana Treatment Centers, Inc.
- Margot Bennett Executive Director, Women Against Gun Violence
- Jeanne Shimatsu, Coordinator, Asian American Drug Abuse Program Inc (AADAP).
- Jorge Castillo, Advocacy and Outreach Manager, Alcohol Justice
- Dennis Hathaway, President, Coalition to Ban Billboard Blight
- Hugo Pacheco, Community Leadership Coalition
- Christy Zamani, Executive Director, Day One Pasadena
- Juanita Dellones, Chair, Sierra Club / Los Angeles Chapter
- Joanne Kim, Chief Operating Officer, Community Coalition
- Teresa Marquez, President, Boyle Heights Stakeholders Association
- Denis Quinonez, Director, Boyle Heights Coalition for a Safe & Drug Free Communities.
- United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)
- United Coalition East Prevention Project
- Women's Christian Temperance Union
Why: The research is clear: the more alcohol advertisements young people see, the more likely they are to drink and drink to excess. It's time to stop using public property to target youth with alcohol ads. Instead, protecting them from additional exposure by prohibiting alcohol ads on city-owned property, like bus benches, is just a no-brainer.
The Los Angeles Department of Public Health recently recommended that "reducing alcohol advertising in public spaces and in areas commonly seen by minors," would help discourage underage drinking. The proposed 10-year bus bench contract with Martin Outdoor Media LLC, contains language that the company agreed to which prohibits alcohol ads on city-owned bus benches.
Los Angeles city government has the moral, ethical, and legal responsibility to stop practices that have a harmful effect on the health and safety of youth. As noted in a 2007 study by Alcohol Justice (formerly Marin Institute), many cities in the U.S. already restrict alcohol ads from appearing on mass transit systems.
Currently the Los Angeles MTA does not allow alcohol advertising on its buses, trains and other transit facilities. The Los Angeles City Council should follow their wise lead as well as the Los Angeles Public Works Commission, The Los Angeles City Council Committee on Public Works, and Martin Outdoor Media LLC, who have already approved contract language to prevent alcohol ads on city-owned bus benches.
To view live TV coverage of the rally and news conference click here at 8:45 a.m.:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/no-alcohol-ads-on-public-property.
To view live TV coverage of today's L.A. City Council meeting click here at 10:00 a.m.:
FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO: http://noalcoholads.org/ and www.alcoholjustice.org.
Contact:
Jorge Castillo 213 840-3336
Ruben Rodriguez 818 203-2811
Michael Scippa 415 548-0492
SOURCE Alcohol Justice
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