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San Francisco Youth Speak in Favor of Fee on Alcohol
Community Based Programs | Andre Morand | Friday August 6, 2010 5:14
On Wednesday, August 4, 2010, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Budget/Finance Committee met to discuss and take public comment on a proposed fee on alcohol. There to relate their experiences and speak in favor of the fee were youth from Youth Leadership Institute’s San Francisco Community Action Live (SFCAL) youth council.
Dozens of fee proponents from throughout the community gathered before the hearing for a press conference. Among the press event speakers was SFCAL youth advocate Erika Ponce, who spoke about the impacts she has personally experienced and the concern local youth share about alcohol harms to their community. Erika went on to share the importance of this fee in an interview with a local television affiliate of Univision.
Youth members of SFCAL also testified at the Board hearing. Josh Pooner stated “we already know that youth are targeted in their community and most influenced by what’s around them in their environment”. Josh also asserted that San Francisco’s appeal to visitors worldwide is far too strong for the fee to impact tourism. Representatives from a range of community groups joined SFCAL in voicing their support, including speakers from the San Francisco Firefighter’s Union, Walden House treatment center, HORIZONS Unlimited, the Latino Commission, and Marin Institute, an alcohol watchdog agency.
If adopted, San Francisco’s proposed “Charge for Harm” fee would recuperate some of the costs to municipal services from alcohol use, such as paramedic services, hospitalization, police/fire and essential substance abuse prevention services. Not a tax, the proposed fee would be dedicated to directly offsetting the at least $17 million annual impact on city services from alcohol related harms. The fee would be charged to wholesalers on a per-ounce basis and would come down to about an additional 5¢ per drink at the consumer level.
The Budget/Finance committee is scheduled meet again on Tuesday, September 7th to discuss further and vote on the fee legislation. SFCAL and community partners will be there again to voice their support.
View a short video SFCAL youth prepared about the fee here.