SAN RAFAEL, Calif.,
June 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The
California Alcohol Policy Alliance (CAPA) and Alcohol Justice, the
San Rafael, California-based
alcohol industry watchdog are charging Governor Newsom with
"Governing Under the Influence" #GUI for feeding the frenzy of
alcohol deregulation to benefit his allies in the alcohol,
restaurant and bar business at the expense of everyone else in the
state.
"While the need to support small businesses through economic
recovery is important, it is critical to keep public health a
priority. As a tax-paying constituent, and advocate for youth and
community safety, my primary concerns are with sales of
alcoholic beverages to-go and alcohol deliveries to consumers,"
said Jeanne Shimatsu, AADAP, Inc.
(Asian American Drug Abuse Program), and CAPA
spokesperson. "Alcoholic cocktails are not an essential
food or drink, and allowing 'alcoholic beverages to go' in
easy-to-access containers within a vehicle is an open door to youth
access and consumption. More importantly, it contributes to the
dangers of 'drinking while driving' for everyone."
Newsom disappointed public health and neighborhood activists
when he declared that he would be continuing last year's numerous
ABC "Regulatory Relief" orders until December 31, 2021 "to promote public
health." These orders were intended to be temporary tradeoffs,
promoting alcohol consumption as a lifeline for restaurants and
bars during the pandemic, with the intention that sales would
return to normal when the state did.
Under Newsom's new orders deregulation will continue to the end
of 2021. Legislation seeking to make a number of deregulatory
initiatives permanent could well pass and go into effect on
January 1, 2022. Some have sunset
dates of a year or two, but state public health and safety
advocates fear the Governor's actions will embolden the industry to
continue pushing the legislature down a slippery slope to
permanently reduce critical alcohol regulations, enhance their
profits, and accelerate the already increasing rates of clinical
dependence and alcohol-related crashes.
The glorification and promotion of public drinking at the core
of Newsom's recent actions will benefit business owners (including
the governor's own PlumpJack Group) at the public's expense. The
Governor and the California
legislature currently seek to expand and extend alcohol sales and
consumption on public sidewalks, alleys, parking lots, and
"parklets", along with the creation of "party zones," and permanent
cocktails-to-go by delivery without any ABC licensing, oversight,
or required Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) training for third
party home delivery companies.
"Expansion of outdoor alcohol service, alcoholic
beverages-to-go, and unregulated home alcohol delivery do NOT
promote public health! In fact, Governor, there has been an
increase in alcohol consumption in addition to pandemic stress, and
loss of jobs contributing to more mental health issues including
suicides," stated Maribel Briseño, CAPA
Representative (Palmdale). "Public health and
safety are in danger. Instead of saving businesses—which also
includes large corporate chains, not just small business—you should
be focused on saving people's lives, not prioritizing profit over
lives!"
While the Governor does not seem concerned, public health
advocates are particularly worried that alcohol deliveries to
customers, particularly through restaurants, lack regulation from
point of purchase to delivery at a home, where there is no formal
legal age check to verify that a sober adult is purchasing and
receiving the alcohol order. In addition, the Governor seems tone
deaf to the public safety risk of continuing to allow streets and
sidewalks to be clogged with outdoor diners.
"Allowing businesses to continue outdoor dining, infringes on
rights of individuals with disabilities and pedestrians," added
Briseño. "People's safety is put in danger by having to walk
onto the street because tables obstruct their right of way on
public walkways. This is a violation of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). We should not be compromising the public's
right of way."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have
estimated there are 10,500 alcohol-related deaths annually in
California, 165,000
alcohol-related hospitalizations, $14.5
billion in government costs, and $35
billion in total related economic harm. Meanwhile, rates of
alcohol use disorder have risen 50% or more over the past 20 years,
and fatal motor vehicle crashes increased 30% from 2015 to 2020.
"In the eagerness to return to economic normalcy, we cannot
by-pass common sense to gain a few more cents, especially when the
cost is about people's lives," added Shimatsu.
"The industry and California
government from the top down are locked in a sick codependent
relationship," stated Bruce Lee
Livingston, Executive Director/CEO of Alcohol Justice.
"The California Restaurant Association and the global alcohol
corporation, Diageo, are behind much of the lobbying campaign
pressuring the Governor and California legislature to choose regulatory
relief over public health, public safety and neighborhood
concerns."
Alcohol Justice and CAPA believe it's time for Governor Newsom
and the California legislators to
honor their oaths of office to protect health and safety. Harm
reduction should be the goal – not misdirected economic recovery
promoting outdoor, public consumption of products that cause so
much pain, suffering and death in California communities. The public is
encouraged to take action to tell the Governor and their elected
leaders that public health is more important to the state's
recovery than public drinking.
Click here now:
https://bit.ly/3oFz1uo or text
PUBLICHEALTH to 313131 to send your message to
Governor Newsom and California
legislators.
Contact: Michael J. Scippa 415
548-0492
Jorge Castillo
213 840-3336
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SOURCE Alcohol Justice; California Alcohol Policy Alliance