The West Australian government has announced plans to ban alcohol advertising from the sides of public transport and, quite possibly, outdoor billboards such as bus shelters and furniture.
The states’ former mental health minister, Helen Morton, said she was going to take the proposal to Cabinet before she was dumped from her portfolio, however, its believed that WA’s transport minister, Bill Marmion, is keen to take up the idea.
It’s believed that the government gets around $7 million a year from selling ad space on its public transport and furniture, with about $160,000 coming from alcohol ads.
Morton argued it was hypocritical for the government to try and reduce public drinking and then take advertising cash from the alcohol industry. She added that children were also readily exposed to the ads.
“[Alcohol] costs $730 million in taxpayer dollars every year, but as a government we advertise alcohol on our own facilities,” Morton said, her comments reported on ABC.net.au.
“This is about helping to close off alcohol advertising impacting on children and young people that cannot be switched off. It is there for them 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“If the Government does not adopt this policy, I hope that all political parties will take this to the election.”
