Alcohol advertising will soon vanish from public transport in Western Australia, following an announcement from the McGowan Government aimed at reducing advertising in public places that is considered harmful to children.
WA’s Public Transport Authority has notified APN Outdoor, which holds two existing contracts covering ad space on buses, trains and related infrastructure, that it intends to phase out alcohol advertising over the next couple of years.
The APN deals secure roughly $8 million in revenue for the PTA. About $160,000, or 2% of this, is alcohol advertising.
Transport minister Rita Saffioti said both contracts enable the government to immediately restrict advertising under certain circumstances, but said legal advice had indicated it would be difficult to effect an immediate and total ban on alcohol advertising.
The deal covering bus advertising is up for renewal in 2019, while the existing train contract runs until 2022. Saffioti said PTA would work with APN on a plan to phase out alcohol advertising by the time the next contracts are dealt.
“After coming to government, I asked the PTA to look into how it might achieve a total ban on alcohol advertising on all its property – rollingstock and fixed infrastructure,” Saffioti said on June 29.
“I decided the most prudent course of action was to allow the existing APN contracts to run their course, but that alcohol advertising be prohibited under any new agreements or contract extension options.”
State health minister Roger Cook said the announcement followed through on a promise he made before the 2017 election.
“We need to continue to influence community attitudes around alcohol, and this move shows the government is providing leadership on the issue,” Cook said.
“Many young people use public transport and we need to reinforce the message that excessive alcohol consumption is dangerous.
“The impact of alcohol abuse on this community is staggering in terms of sickness, disability, effect on families, cost to the hospital system and early and preventable death.”