San Francisco Eyes Alcohol Tax to Recover Health Costs

San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco would be the first local government in the state to impose a booze fee intended to recover health care costs associated with alcohol addiction treatment now covered by taxpayers.

The fee, expected to generate more than $15 million a year, would cover such expenses as ambulance transport to the emergency room for public inebriates, unreimbursed hospital and clinic services for alcohol-related accidents and diseases, and Department of Public Health-funded programs aimed at preventing and treating alcoholism.

The idea, said Supervisor John Avalos, who proposed the fee legislation Tuesday, is to make the targeted businesses pay "for the harm of alcohol consumption on the people of San Francisco and the city and county of San Francisco."

The fee is focused on wholesalers. The rate would be 0.076 cents per ounce of alcohol sold. Avalos estimated that the added cost to a standard drink would be a little less than a nickel.

A similar statewide bill was killed this year in the Legislature amid opposition from the alcoholic beverage industry.

Eric Potashner, a spokesman for California Beer and Beverage Distributors, said the Avalos legislation was still being analyzed by the trade group, "but it would be safe to say they're opposed to it."

Mayor Gavin Newsom has not taken a position on the proposal, said his spokesman, Tony Winnicker. But, he noted, "It's the kind of fee that would impact every hotel, restaurant, retailer and hundreds of thousands of people and would require careful scrutiny and public outreach" to uncover any potential unintended consequences.

The mayor's health director, however, backs the proposal.

"We support it," said Dr. Mitch Katz, director of the Department of Public Health. "Alcohol rehab and abuse has a tremendous cost on the health care system. It seems to me that a fee should be added to the cost of alcohol."

On Avalos' behalf, the city controller's office commissioned an independent study that looked at how much money the cash-strapped city spends on unreimbursed alcohol-related expenses. Among those identified: The Fire Department spends nearly $4 million for emergency medical response; San Francisco General Hospital spends $1.8 million caring for patients; and the city's community substance abuse treatment program spends another $10 million.

The money also would be used to cover the costs of fee collection, investigation and enforcement.

Fees, which unlike taxes do not have to go before voters for approval, are tied to cost recovery.

Avalos hopes the fee would be enacted effective in January. Litigation is expected if it is adopted.

College Environment Poses Risk for Underage Drinking

Collegiate Times

The expensive textbooks have been purchased, new roommates have moved in, and classes are underway: American students have recently commenced a new semester at their colleges and universities. When the exciting and overwhelming influx of new friends and classes has initially dwindled down, students — especially those living in a college environment — seek opportunities to escape from the stresses of college life. In a college town, this usually equates to attending parties and various social gatherings.

Of course, the majority of college students’ mentalities would be incomplete if the presence of alcohol was not involved in the social scene. Alcohol is a ubiquitous staple in the college environment, and young adults between the ages of 18-24 years old are most at risk for abusing the judgment-impairing drug. In a time when consumption of alcohol is accepted — and almost expected — among college students, we need to remember that young adults are incredibly vulnerable to the dangers associated with over-consumption of alcohol — a term referred to as binge drinking.

According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, a “binge” is a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration to at least 0.08 percent or above. This pattern corresponds to consuming at least five drinks for a male adult and at least four drinks for a female adult in approximately a two-hour time span.

The consequences of excessive drinking affect virtually all college campuses, college communities, and college students: about four in five of all college students drink, including students aged 18 to 20, nearly 60 percent of whom drink illegally. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 90 percent of the alcohol consumed by underage youths is in the form of binge drinking. As mass marketing campaigns have perpetuated the glamorization of alcohol consumption, imagine the increase in these statistics as we begin this new decade!

We are not naïve to the potential outcomes of binge drinking. By simply tuning in to the news, we learn of unfortunate stories of young adults prematurely losing their lives in tragic, alcohol-related accidents. An increase in students who reported being charged of driving while intoxicated has resulted in an increase of alcohol-related deaths.

The CDC further describes the kinds of intentional and unintentional injuries that result from binge drinking, including sexual assault, date rape, firearm injuries, domestic violence, car crashes, burns and drowning. Other health problems resulting from binge drinking include alcohol poisoning, sexually transmitted diseases, unintended pregnancy, high blood pressure, stroke, liver disease, alcohol addiction and sexual dysfunction.

The college environment promotes this unhealthy behavior, particularly due to the availability and accessibility of alcohol on campuses. Furthermore, students who observe their peers engaging in binge drinking may be more willing to conform to the negative behavior if they perceive their peers to be enjoying themselves. Unfortunately, loss of inhibitions is a positively perceived effect of alcohol consumption, especially for the shy and introverted. However, alcohol no longer seems to be as enticing when you find yourself being the caretaker of a sick friend who is vomiting in the bathroom of a bar or club as a result of binge drinking. If you are lucky, your friend will sleep it off and fail to remember his or her actions from the previous night. For the not so lucky, your friend may require medical attention if alcohol poisoning were to occur.

Alcohol abuse is likely — and frequent — since society views drinking as a normal and accepted part of life, especially campus life. The consumption of alcohol is unquestionably a social activity, influenced by popular culture and media solely depicting — and oftentimes, fabricating — the positive effects of alcohol without taking into consideration the infinitely greater negatives.

As the new semester progresses into busy weeks teeming with assignments, projects, exams and friends, let’s keep in mind the dangers that binge drinking poses to the health of the millions of students in our nation’s colleges and universities.

The college environment isn’t going anywhere, and it would surely be devastating to hear another news story of an alcohol-related accident that claimed yet another youth’s life.

Alcohol, Violence Part of Canadian Soldiers' R&R

The Toronto Sun

When Canadian soldiers head home from Afghanistan, they are first given a week to "decompress" on the island paradise of Cyprus. But for many soldiers, this "decompression" is filled with alcohol abuse, arguments and violence, according to information revealed in military documents obtained by QMI Agency.

During the 150 days military members have spent on the island since the fall of 2006, Canadian soldiers have been involved in more than 100 incidents that required the intervention of military police. About 30 of these incidents were of a violent nature and at least 50 were caused by soldiers that were "intoxicated" by alcohol.

The military police reports, obtained through Access to Information laws, show that the soldiers, as soon as they arrive in Cyprus, quickly take advantage of the freedom they are given, opting to go drinking in groups at bars or heading off in search strippers or prostitutes.

These nocturnal escapades often land soldiers in locations where their presence isn't always appreciated by the locals. At least four times, Canadian soldiers were attacked or threatened by local groups that are often armed with pistols. In one July 2007 case, a soldier found himself with a 9-mm pistol pointed at his face after he had tried to locate reinforcements in a bar to help one of his comrades who was fighting with street bouncers.

The report indicated that the majority of incidents are directly linked to the consumption of alcohol by soldiers. Many soldiers abuse alcohol to the point where they fight each other over insults or they fight Cyprus locals that they have insulted or pushed around.

The most publicized case is that of soldiers Louis Pelletier and Guillaume Simon, who violently struck a British citizen living in Cyprus after having insulted and spit on his wife in March 2008.

The reports also showed several cases of misdemeanour crimes caused by drunken soldiers.

For example, one drunk and unhappy soldier broke down the door of a five-star hotel where the soldiers were staying.

Another broke into a Cyprus resident's home in the middle of the night for reasons that haven't been revealed.

Last March, a drunken soldier fell off his room's balcony on the first floor of the hotel but managed to escape with only a few injuries.

Drunk, soldier fights and breaks a window Feb. 12, 2007. At around 6 p.m. in a local bar, a soldier, very intoxicated by alcohol, fought with a Cyprus local. After being subdued by military police, the soldier punched the glass protecting a painting on the wall. He was injured. Many people tried to calm him, but he eventually lost consciousness. The report indicates that he was "strongly intoxicated". He was required to pay for the painting. Perhaps it may behoove the Canadian military to take action and institute a 'dry-out' alcohol rehab program.

Unwinding soldiers can create trouble

Threatened with a gun
July 28, 2007

A soldier was involved in an altercation downtown. He was hit by a street bouncer while he was trying to help a colleague who had been attacked in the street. He then wanted to get help from inside the unidentified establishment. Another street bouncer prohibited him from entering the establishment by showing him a 9mm pistol and asking him "if he had a problem". The reported indicated that there is "a group of street bouncers ... that patrol outside of district X." The report also said that the group has other groups (whose identity was blacked out).

A soldier taken hostage
July 31, 2007

Two roommate soldiers, during the decompression week, visited a Cyprus establishment to drink alcohol. Inside, one soldier fell asleep on a couch. Unable to wake his colleague, the soldier found himself alone and without money, with bar employees that demanded payment. "Accompanied by an escort armed ... with a pistol", he was asked to pay if he wanted the sleeping soldier to be released. He then returned to the hotel to get money.

Six against 50
Mar. 1, 2008

A group of Cyprus residents tried to stir things up in a bar by name-calling and pushing around Canadian soldiers. "When they exited the establishment, a group of people, more than 50, named the XXXXXs, were waiting to beat them up outside. The Canadian soldiers would have had no chance because of the number of assailants," said the report. The soldiers were forced to flee after the fight started.

Fight for a cigarette
Sept. 21, 2008

At midnight, a fight broke out between a Cyprus resident and a Canadian soldier when the soldier told the person to "pay attention with his cigarette". The Cyprus resident replied by hitting the soldier in the face. The two men fought on the ground and other residents and soldiers got involved until bar employees separated them. The soldier was treated for his injuries but didn't file a complaint.

Soldier attacked taxi driver
Oct. 4, 2008

At 4 a.m., a soldier, returning from a night out by taxi, was seen by other soldiers trying to hit a taxi driver while he was holding onto him through the open window of the vehicle. The soldier didn't want to pay the total amount for the ride, maintaining that he already done so and owed the driver nothing. Another soldier paid the amount asked for by the driver, who left without making a complaint.

Soldier called a "fag"

At about 10 p.m., two groups of soldiers in a bar got into a fight after a soldier from one group refered to another soldier as a "fag". The fight started inside the bar and then moved outside into the street. Military and local police were forced to intervene. A soldier was injured and treated in hospital.

More fighting
Mar. 27, 2009
At about 1:30 a.m., two soldiers involved in a fight the night before needed to be separated after they began to fight, again, in a bar. One of the soldiers was holding his colleague by the head and was repeatedly hitting him in the face. The military police believe that the two men arranged to meet up to finish their fight from the night before. However, the victim said he had hadn't consented to fight and had simply gone to talk outside of the bar.

And again...

Mar. 27, 2009

At around 3 a.m., three soldiers involved in the previous night's fight decided to confront one of their opponents hotel room, as a group. They knocked on the door, forced their way in and pushed one soldier to the ground before jumping on the other, who was held down while another soldier hit him repeatedly in the face. The three attackers fled and were then interrogated by military police.

Drunk, he falls from the first floor

March 27, 2009

In the middle of the afternoon, a soldier suffered a one-story fall from the balcony of his hotel room to the ground floor. He was injured. The report stated that he was so "intoxicated" that he either fell by accident or on purpose. He also lost his wallet.

Actor Torn Ripped Again

Examiner Detroit

Actor Rip (Elmore) Torn, age 79, was taken into custody at the Litchfield Bancorp and booked on charges including illegal possession of a handgun while intoxicated, first-degree burglary, first-degree criminal trespassing and third-degree criminal mischief. He is currently being held on $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear Monday in Bantam Superior Court according to reports from The Associated Press.

A resident of Salisbury, CT, where he lives with third wife actress Amy Wright, Torn has appeared on television, the stage and big screen. He has won numerous awards for his work in all three media, but is, perhaps, most recognized by the younger generation for his role as in the Men In Black films starring opposite Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. He is also an accomplished painter and video artist.

Despite this, Torn has been deeply troubled by alcoholism. He was arrested in New York City in January 2004, after his car collided with a taxi. He was arrested again for drunk driving in North Salem, New York in December 2006 after colliding with a tractor-trailer. In April 2007, Torn pleaded guilty and had his drivers license suspended for 90 days and was required to pay a fine of $380 and needed alcohol rehab.

Another arrest occurred on December 14, 2008, when Rip Torn was picked up on suspicion of drunk driving. A bartender at the White Hart Inn in Salisbury, is reported to have served the actor, but apparently noticed he appeared intoxicated as he was leaving the establishment, according to a police report. Torn reportedly refused a ride home and got into his vehicle and drove away. He was convicted and sentenced to probation in May 2009. Torn was given probation in the drink-driving case and granted permission to enter an alcohol education program with alcoholics anonymous.

Alcohol abuse can have serious consequences that impact every system in the body, causing a wide range of health problems such as poor nutrition, liver diseases (including cirrhosis and hepatitis), high blood pressure, muscle weakness, irregularities with heart rhythm, anemia, clotting disorders, decreased immunity to infections, gastrointestinal inflammation and irritation, acute and chronic problems with the pancreas, low blood sugar, high blood fat content, interference with reproductive fertility, and weakened bones, as well as memory loss and difficulty with balance.

In addition, a special report prepared for the U.S. Congress by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, illustrates its severe effect on society as a whole, including "violence, traffic accidents, lost work productivity, and premature death, costs our nation an estimated $185 billion annually. It is also estimated that approximately one in four children (19 million children or 29% of children up to 17 years of age) is exposed at some time to familial alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, or both."

Stanford Expands Efforts to Curb Alcohol Abuse

San Francisco Chronicle

Stanford's successful effort to exempt itself from Santa Clara County's new rules on underage drinking has put a focus on the university's growing effort to curb alcohol abuse on campus.

 The county's new ordinance, which took effect last year, makes it easier for police to cite anyone hosting a party where underage drinking occurs. It can mean a fine of up to $1,000 plus costs anytime the police are called in.

About 95 percent of Stanford's 6,600 undergraduates, many of them younger than 21, live on campus in university-owned housing. As the landlord, the school could have found itself facing plenty of potential liability under the new county rules.

But the financial question didn't play a role in the university's attempt to persuade county officials to free Stanford from the regulations, said Jean McCown, the school's director of community relations.

"We already have a significant commitment to curbing underage drinking and require that on-campus parties be registered," she said. "We were concerned that the county rules would send those parties underground and out of sight."
 

Student deaths

Campus drinking is a growing concern at universities and colleges across the nation. A study released last year by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that there were 1,825 alcohol-related deaths among 18- to 24-year-old students in 2005, the last year with available figures.

Those include not only the rare but widely reported alcohol-poisoning deaths linked to out-of-control parties and fraternity hazing, but also the drunken-driving crashes and falls that claim many more lives.

While Stanford has never had an alcohol-poisoning death on campus, its students aren't immune to the problems that arise from heavy drinking.

"We get students cited on campus every weekend," said Ralph Castro, director of the university's Substance Abuse Prevention Project.

In the 2008-09 academic year, 44 underage students were taken to a hospital emergency room because of alcohol abuse. Seventy-three were arrested for possession of alcohol by a minor, 13 for being drunk in public and five for being a minor driving under the influence.

To combat campus drinking and encourage alcohol rehab at Stanford, university officials have for the past four years required each incoming freshman to take a three-hour online course on alcohol abuse. Groups hosting parties have to register them with the school and provide the name of the person in charge.

"When (the ordinance) came up at the Board of Supervisors last year, we brought them information about our programs," McCown said. "We asked them to watch us for a year and see how it worked."

Stanford received a 12-month stay of the new law last year and then worked with the county to do what was needed for a permanent exemption.

"We already had a program on board that our students understand and believe in," Castro said.

But with the shadow of increased county regulation hanging over the university, Stanford toughened its alcohol policies.

Tighter policies

Move-in day for resident students was moved a week closer to the first day of school, trimming the number of party-hearty nights before classes begin. Stanford police boosted their presence on nights when parties were scheduled. A few on-campus fraternities were temporarily banned from having alcohol at parties because of incidents of underage drinking last year.

The effort worked. Last Tuesday, Santa Clara County supervisors unanimously approved a new version of the ordinance that "explicitly exempts officers and agents of institutions of higher learning."

There's drinking, legal or not, on every college campus, and Stanford is no exception, according to alcoholics anonymous. Students 21 and older are allowed to have alcohol in their rooms and the university cops aren't tossing the rooms of younger students to search for illicit booze, Castro said.

"We treat students as adults," he said. "Our fundamental standard is that students will do the right thing. But if they don't, there are consequences."