Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
You're Cut Off, Says Health Department
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 30, 2010
Modified Nov 30, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 30, 2010
Modified Nov 30, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Two weeks ago, the Health Department issued a shocking report finding that New Yorkers drink excessively, according to the standards of the medical industry (which is totally in the pocket of Alcoholics Anonymous). But now that the holidays are upon us, aren't we entitled to a little excess? The Health Department says no, and they're launching a new subway ad campaign scolding you to take it easy. Yes, you, passed out on the F train with an empty Ballantine quart rolling around between your feet.
"New York City is a great place to spend the holidays, but too much drink can turn a celebration into a tragedy," intones the Health Department in its buzz-killing press release. Alcohol kills some 1,500 New Yorkers every year... and excessive drinking prompted more than 70,000 emergency-room visits among New York City adults last year alone." And the ever-moderate Commissioner Thomas warns, "New Yorkers are surrounded by ads selling alcohol, and the messages are enticing. Beer, wine and liquor may look like passports to sophistication and romance. But even two extra drinks can turn a good time into a disaster." (So true; that's exactly how Grown Ups got greenlighted.)
As you can see here, one ad shows "a well-dressed woman" passed out on the subway stairs, "her belongings strewn beside her on a dingy underground stairway." The caption: "Two drinks ago you could still get yourself home." The other poster shows "a young man in business attire, bleeding and bruised after a barroom altercation." The caption: "Two drinks ago you would have walked away." True, but two drinks ago he would have also felt physical pain, instead of just swelling pride at having defended his solemn right to the next game of Big Buck Hunter.
Tagged
alcohol
binge drinking
health department
psa
subway ads
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .