Los Angeles Says: It Ain’t Safe to Block Streets and Sidewalks!

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October 7, 2021

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LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Members of California Alcohol Policy Alliance (CAPA) will hold an opposition rally in Los Angeles to demand that Governor Newsom STOP allowing alcohol to pour into the public right-of-way and VETO AB 61 and SB 314. Both bills are focused on expanding “sidewalk drinking” statewide. Charging Governing Under the Influence, CAPA reports that in 2018, Governor Newsom received $422,032 from the Beer, Wine and Liquor sector. The top contributors were: $58,400 from E & J Gallo (the largest wine company in the world), $47,000 from Anheuser Busch (the largest beer company in the world, headquartered in Belgium), and $34,500 from the Wine Institute, a corporate alcohol-funded front group.

Opponents contend that SB 314 and AB 61 will effectively compromise safety and pedestrian right-of-way in the City of Los Angeles. As all California communities continue to fight against COVID-19, those most disproportionately and socio-economically impacted are black, brown, and low-income. These so-called “business relief” bills provide no relief to them and prioritize business economic recovery over reducing California’s annual catastrophe of alcohol-related harm. In passing the bills, the legislature completely disregarded their unintended consequences: high costs of implementation, lack of infrastructure, and loss of overriding local control of cities to implement safe street and sidewalk initiatives for residents and business alike.

Choosing public drinking over public health is a social justice issue for low-income and communities of color, pedestrians and drivers already severely compromised by heavy policing, lack of resources, and limited access to walkable and family-friendly city streets. In addition, promoting the need for non-union, low paying jobs for communities of color to justify alcohol deregulation co-opts social justice and equity to advance alcohol-related profits.

What: Opposition Rally & Call to Action
When: Thursday October 7, 2020, 10 a.m. to noon
Where: Japanese American Museum, 100 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Who:

Why:

COVID regulatory relief measures were never meant to be made permanent or extended they were supposed to be temporary.
According to an August 2020 CDC report, both African-Americans and Latinx were at dramatically greater risk of trauma or stress disorders related to COVID-19. This has manifested in increased suicidal ideation and the initiation of or increase in substance use, as compared to other ethnic or racial groups.
Our communities are recovering from the most severe health crisis of our time, expansion of alcohol consumption should not be our priority.
California currently suffers over 10,500 alcohol-related deaths, 165,000 alcohol-related hospitalizations and $35 billion in related economic harm annually.
Problems from excessive alcohol consumption annually cost approximately $940 for every resident, or $2.44 for every drink. (CDC)
SB 314 would restrict use of what should be public space, it threatens to allow “party zones” of a type that have historically resulted in nuisance and license violations.
Expanding drinking into public areas such as sidewalks poses a threat to seniors and people with disabilities and threatens ADA compliance.
Many cities lack the capacity to implement expansion into public spaces, especially dense communities that rely heavily on public transportation and have narrow sidewalks and other infrastructure limitations.
ABC will not engage in enforcement because most of these requirements are essentially non-enforceable by the department.

With this event, CAPA is launching a public CALL to ACTION to demand that the Governor acknowledge that excessive alcohol use is No. 3 on the list of preventable causes of death in California and to VETO AB 61 and SB 314.

Take Action here: https://bit.ly/3oFz1uo or text PUBLICHEALTH to 313131 to tell Governor Newsom to choose PUBLIC HEALTH over industry profits and VETO AB 61 AND SB 314.

The California Alcohol Policy Alliance (CAPA) unites diverse organizations and communities in California to protect health and safety, and prevent alcohol-related harm through statewide action.

CAPA Member Organizations