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LGBTQ+ Leaders Call SB 930 Out for the "Destruction of the Health and Welfare of Our Communities"
SB 930, proposed by State Senator Scott Wiener and State Assemblymember Matt Haney (both D-San Francisco), would extend bar last call times out to 4 a.m., starting with three specific cities: San Francisco, West Hollywood, and Palm Springs. All three of these cities are notable both for prominent LGBTQ+ communities, and for being "party towns" which draw commuters from all around the areas.
The authors themselves tout the money it will bring to LGBTQ+ bars in these cities, although extended last call times also come with a raft of overconsumption-related theats, including dangerous driving, violence and injury, and ER admissions. Even without last call extensions, LGBTQ+ individuals experience higher rates of alcohol-use disorder, and experienced worse alcohol use and mental health outcomes during COVID-19. "This bill," the organizations write, "would create even more damage to our already marginalized communities."
The letter is available in
ENGLISH and in SPANISH.NEW RESEARCH: Where Do We Go From Beer?
Mapping the Bay Area's "magnets" for potential deadly drivers.
As the California Assembly debates the passage of SB 930, a poorly conceived and reckless bit of legislation that would extend last call times in certain cities, the question remains: what about the rest of us? What should we expect if we don’t live in these cities?
It’s clear from existing research that extended last call times are associated with increased violent crime, emergency room visits, ambulance calls, and DUIs. What’s also clear is that people who drink in one city often do not confine their driving to just that same city. According to Ventura County Behavioral Health, people receiving DUIs often travel 7 to 40 miles before getting pulled over. Surveillance in New York State showed that DUIs were elevated in counties whose neighbors had extended last call times, even if those counties kept to normal ones.
OPINION: Opening Bars in Secret Silences Communities
In 2022, California State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), backed by San Francisco Mayor London Breed, introduced Senate Bill 980. The bill enacted a number of so-called reforms which would supposedly “streamline” the liquor license application process for new bars and restaurants. These changes include: - Preventing the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) from denying licenses due to proximity to schools, parks, and other youth-oriented areas
- Lifting the requirement that applicants notify all residents within a certain radius of where they planned to open
- Forcing ABC to prove that the new license would disrupt normal standards of quiet and safety, rather than allowing ABC to ask the licensee to prove that it wouldn’t
- Allowing liquor license applicants to withdraw an application then reapply on the same day
Subtracting Ads: YFJ, SRADC Push for Lasting Local Liquor Store Reform
Despite Marin County's reputation for healthy living, underage drinking poses a major problem for the City of San Rafael. According the California Healthy Kids Survey, 47% of high school seniors report drinking alcohol, 22% percent repeatedly binge drinking, and nearly 1 in 5 having either driven while drunk or been in a car with a drunk driver.The Youth Action for Safe Stores campaign led by Youth for Justice and the San Rafael Alcohol and Drug Coalition seeks to address the underage drinking problem by changing the alcohol retail environment in San Rafael. Dangerous behaviors include excessive store-front advertisements and beverages with high sugar and alcohol content referred to as “Alcopops.” Ending the harmful behavior of dangerous alcohol retailing will ensure local stores do not promote underage drinking.
As part of the Youth Action for Safe Stores, Youth For Justice has engaged with local San Rafael City Council members to advocate for the importance of alcohol retail accountability. In the coming weeks and months, they will engage the Marin County Board of Supervisors to build support for clear policy changes that reduce the amount of advertisements on storefronts. By advocating for policy change to address these behaviors and organizing community-led education, we move steadily towards a retail environment that is protective for youth in the city, and creates a model for the county, maybe even the state, to follow.
READ MORE about Youth for Justice.
READ MORE about the Youth Action for Safe Stores and the fight for a healthy San Rafael.
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