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In the News / Archives / San Diego / Fall 2003

Substance Abuse

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Archived San Diego article descriptions and ID#s have been divided into quarters to decrease page download time.

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"Making city safer, one DUI arrest at a time" (San Diego Union Tribune, Dec 26, 2003) -- Drinking and driving don't mix – especially on Officer Tom Broxtermann's beat. In his 18 years with the San Diego Police Department, Broxtermann has arrested more than 2,400 suspected drunken drivers, by far the most of any officer on the force, officials say. ID# 7543

"Student researches E. Village needs" (Downtown News, Dec 4, 2003) -- Students may say that some of what they learn in school will never be used in the real world. Craig Castaneda knows better, because his research project is a key component to the redevelopment of East Village. Castaneda, a business administration major at California State University, San Marcos, is in the midst of a semesterlong Senior Experience project, a requirement for his degree. As its subject, Castaneda chose to investigate East Village's residential, business and commercial needs. The project includes more than I00 interviews and surveys with government officials, industry experts, small business owners and residents. ID# 7541

"Alcohol too easy for teens to obtain" (Asia Journal, Dec 12, 2003) -- I recently proposed, and the City Council passed, an ordinance aimed at holding adults responsible for underage drinking parties on private property. The ordinance will make it a criminal offense for adults to knowingly serve alcohol to minors. ID# 7539

"Border smuggling, drug arrests decline" (San Diego Union Tribune, Dec 23, 2003) -- California border inspectors detected fewer drugs and immigrants this year than in 2002, repeating a downward trend that began after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Cocaine seizures at the six ports of entries in San Diego and Imperial Counties plummeted from 17,031 in 2002 to 12,470 pounds in 2003. Pot busts dwindled from 298,161 pounds to 286,847 pounds. ID# 7536

"Buffer vs. puffers to grow" (San Diego Union Tribune, Dec 22, 2003) -- LAURA EMBRY / Union-TribuneAlla Itelson, 22, of La Mesa, a senior at San Diego State University, smoked outside the campus library. Effective Jan. 1, the state's no-smoking zone around public buildings expands from 5 feet to 20 feet. Alla Itelson said she tries to be a considerate smoker. But she said a new law that will require her to take a puff farther away from doors and windows of most government buildings is going too far. ID# 7537

"Lake Elsinore checkpoint nets 12 arrests" (North County Times, Dec 20, 2003) -- More than 400 vehicles passed through the checkpoint at Mission Trail and Malaga Road between 830 p.m. Friday and 145 a.m. Saturday, McKinney said Saturday. ID# 7529

"Fight over alcohol stops 7-Eleven" (North County Times, Dec 20, 2003) -- Local residents, including Murrieta Valley Unified School District board member Kris Thomasian, and the city protested the convenience store chain's application to sell alcohol at that location, which is across the street from a residential neighborhood and Glen Arbor Park. ID# 7528

"Galardi club liquor license is taken away" (San Diego Union Tribune, Dec 21, 2003) -- LAS VEGAS – Clark County officials have pulled the liquor license from a second striptease club formerly owned by a man who has pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges. The Dec. 17 decision to deny new owner Jack Galardi's request to serve liquor at the Leopard Lounge had little immediate effect because the club has been closed for remodeling since Galardi bought it Nov. 13 from his son, Michael. ID# 7531

"Medical marijuana decision doesn't sanction pot sales to the sick" (North County Times, Dec 19, 2003) -- That issue, the next legal battle in the medical marijuana movement, still is pending before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. A three-judge panel of the same court ruled Tuesday that a congressional act outlawing marijuana can not apply in states with laws permitting sick people to use marijuana with a doctor's recommendation. ID# 7510

"Holiday drunken-driving crackdown begins" (San Diego Union Tribune, Dec 19, 2003) -- The California Highway Patrol and local police kicked off an annual holiday crackdown on drunken driving this week with a "coptail" party featuring nonalcoholic drinks at a pub. Fourteen law enforcement agencies in San Diego County will target drunken drivers with beefed-up patrols and sobriety checkpoints beyond New Year's Day. ID# 7511

"Barona's push for liquor license is boosted by sheriff's reversal" (San Diego Union Tribune, Dec 16, 2003) -- BARONA INDIAN RESERVATION – It took 15 months and a reversed opinion from the Sheriff's Department, but the Barona Indian band has cleared the first hurdle for a state license to sell liquor in certain areas of its casino, hotel and golf course. Steven Ernst, who heads the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control's San Diego office, said he would pass Barona's application to his superiors today with a recommendation of approval. An administrative hearing probably will be scheduled within three months, he said. ID# 7494

"Checkpoint a sobering experience" (North County Times, Dec 13, 2003) -- Using stationary sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols, the goal of those officers is to get as many impaired drivers off the road as possible. The first checkpoint of the season was conducted by Temecula police along busy Pechanga Parkway. From 7 p.m. Friday to 2 a.m. Saturday, officers arrested six suspected intoxicated drivers, said Sgt. Mike Pino, who heads the department's traffic division. ID# 7487

"Proud of Solana Beach's cigarette beach ban" (North County Times, Dec 13, 2003) -- I live in Solana Beach, and I applaud the City Council for making Solana Beach the first city in California to outlaw smoking on the beach. I feel well-represented here, and I know many neighbors who also support this ban. It doesn't surprise me that Solana Beach is first in this regard. ID# 7488

"Mexico City gives drivers a break from Breathalyzers on Christmas eve and New Year's Eve" (San Diego Union Tribune, Dec 12, 2003) -- MEXICO CITY – Police plan to give Mexico City drivers a break from alcohol breath tests on two of the most celebrated days of the holiday season, the Mexico City police department announced Friday. Mexico City started breath testing drivers for intoxication for the first time in September, in part of a get-tough campaign toward drunken driving across Mexico. ID# 7489

"El Cajon adopts overkill against johns and junkies" (San Diego Union Tribune, Dec 11, 2003) -- Under a new ordinance that will take effect Jan. 1, men arrested for soliciting prostitution from their cars in El Cajon can have their vehicles permanently seized by the city. This gross judicial overreach is intended to counter the growing problem of prostitution in El Cajon, but it is likely to create more problems than it solves. The measure provides that vehicle owners may request an administrative hearing and object to the confiscation. But getting their cars back is probably going to mean paying what the city deems to be their fair-market value. Otherwise, the vehicles will be sold, with the proceeds going to the City Attorney's Office or to law enforcement agents to cover the costs of this Draconian program. ID# 7478

"Hispanics target of drunk-driving project" (San Diego Union Tribune, Dec 11, 2003) -- WASHINGTON – For the first time, the government is launching a drunken driving campaign targeting Hispanics, who are at higher risk of death in alcohol-related accidents. Alcohol-related crashes account for half of all traffic deaths of Hispanics, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In the general population, alcohol-related crashes accounted for 41 percent of traffic deaths in 2002. ID# 7479

"Air Force Academy crackdown could cost cadet her career" (San Diego Union Tribune, Dec 9, 2003) -- AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – In a striking example of how discipline is changing at the Air Force Academy in the wake of its sexual assault scandal, a cadet may be expelled after turning herself in for taking a single sip of whiskey. New commanders, trying to erase the image of a school that ignored assault victims, have demanded that sophomore Christina Fifer, 19, reveal the name of the senior cadet who gave her the alcohol. They accused her of showing "misplaced loyalty" by refusing a direct order. "I'd rather leave with my integrity intact than stay without it," Fifer, of Inverness, Fla., said in an interview with The Associated Press. ID# 7466

"Families must help stop teen drinking" (North County Times, Dec 9, 2003) -- Re "Police seek source of liquor in teen's death," Oct. 24. In the wake of a fatal crash that was apparently caused by alcohol, it's great that police are asking where the alcohol came from. And it's good that students learn about the dangers of drinking and driving from their teachers, according to the Escondido school superintendent. But cops and teachers can't solve the problem of underage drinking. As friends and relatives we have to do our part as well. ID# 7464

"Teen drinking high in Mountain Empire" (The Guardian, Dec 3, 2003) -- Some parents assume that drinking alcohol is something all students, at least by high school age, will do. They sometimes tolerate it (or at least look the other way) if they feel that their child is relatively safe and responsible in their drinking behaviors.T he problem is that safety, responsibility, and alcohol don’t mix, especially for teenagers. Good judgment is one of the first skills to go when people drink. Drinking patterns for youth tend to be vastly different than those of most adults. Research shows that, in general, kids don’t drink to be social; they drink to get drunk. During a period in their lives when they have many self-doubts, drinking helps them feel like they fit in. If they drink enough, they don’t care if they fit in which feels even better. ID# 7462

"Padres get stadium naming rights" (North County Times, Dec 2, 2003) -- The agreement, passed 8-0 with Councilman Charles Lewis absent, also establishes guidelines for non advertising-related signs on the ballpark exterior and its entry gates. Several community members had asked the council not to allow advertising for alcoholic beverages at the ballpark, saying it would influence minors to drink. ID# 7458

"Council OKs plans for East Village project, signage at ballpark" (San Diego Union Tribune, Dec 3, 2003) -- A master plan for a three-block development next to the downtown ballpark was approved by the San Diego City Council yesterday. The council also approved a plan to include advertising on the exterior of the ballpark. The council voted 6-2 to adopt the master plan for East Village Square, on J Street just north of Petco Park. The project will include two high-rises – one residential and the other office – restricted to 22 stories. ID# 7459

"Alcohol commercials should appeal to women who drink" (Daily Aztec, Dec 2, 2003) -- Recently I have been noticing something on television that really bothers me. As advertisements for alcohol are being aired on late-night television and beer ads are on around the clock, some of the companies seem to be making a certain message clear These products are not for women. This is guy stuff. As a beer drinker, I feel shunned. ID# 7454

"DUI sweep nets 11 arrests in Lake Elsinore" (North County Times, Nov 30, 2003) -- The crackdown was part of an ongoing countywide campaign called "Avoid the 30" in which officers from 30 law enforcement agencies in Riverside County hit the streets several times a year with the goal of curbing deaths and injuries from drunken driving. From 6 p.m. Saturday to 4 a.m. Sunday, officers from the task force patrolled five areas of the county looking for impaired drivers, officials with the Sheriff's Department said in a release Sunday. ID# 7448

"Solana Beach gets a rose for beach butt ban" (North County Times, Nov 30, 2003) -- Solana Beach gets a raspberry ("Politically correct hooey award," Nov. 24) for outlawing smoking on the beach. You state that the action was "just political correctness run amok." Then you award a second raspberry to the "selfish and thoughtless" smokers who throw away their butts on the beaches, claiming their actions "led Solana Beach to ban smoking on the beach." Huh? Which is it, political correctness or a last-ditch effort to keep the lazy and/or ignorant smoker slobs from using our beaches as an ashtray? ID# 7449

"Free tobacco to firefighters a bad idea" (North County Times, Nov 30, 2003) -- Re "State investigating Lung Association's complaints," Nov. 8. Firefighters are the heroes of our country The saviors in the wreckage, and guess what? They're getting free tobacco. Are the tobacco companies trying to be nice to them? I think not. Publicity, on the other hand, may be a huge factor in the handing out of free chew to the firefighters. ID# 7450

"Tobacco firms use firefighters to get to youth" (North County Times, Nov 27, 2003) -- Re the Nov. 8 article, "State investigating Lung Association's complaints." Recently there were several fires that swept through San Diego. Our firefighters came to our rescue to try their hardest to fight these fires and save the homes of San Diego residents. Everyone in San Diego pulled together and attempted to save what was left of our homes, even the tobacco companies. The tobacco companies pulled together to give the firefighters free tobacco. From one point of view, the tobacco companies are helping. ID# 7451

"Program hopes to reduce drinking among students" (Daily Aztec, Nov 25, 2003) -- In 2000, San Diego State gave out 639 referrals for liquor law violations on campus, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The department also states in 2001, 486 referrals were given out for the same violation while 434 more were handed out in 2002. ID# 7445

"Marine road deaths a big concern" (San Diego Union Tribune, Nov 27, 2003) -- CAMP PENDLETON – Base safety officials are wondering what to try next following the deaths of six Marines since Nov. 11. Excessive speed and/or alcohol played a part in five of the deaths, including crashes Friday and Sunday that took four lives, according to David Barragan, director of base safety. ID# 7452

"Study finds alcohol use lowers with diversity" (Daily Aztec, Nov 25, 2003) -- Binge drinking is a problem on many college campuses, however, a new study reports drinking rates are significantly lower on campuses with a larger number of women, minorities and older students In the study, "Watering Down the Drinks The Moderating Effect of College Demographics on Alcohol Use of High-Risk Groups," which was completed by the College Alcohol Study at the Harvard School of Public Health, researchers examined the role of college student demographics and diversity in moderating binge drinking among high-risk students. ID# 7444

"Firefighter says drinking common at San Francisco stations" (North County Times, Nov 21, 2003) -- The claim has prompted investigations by the city's fire department, department of human resources and city attorney's office, and the fire chief says he's determined to spread the message that alcohol has no place in firehouses. Twenty years ago, such behavior would have been tolerated. But times have changed, Chief Mario Trevino said Friday. ID# 7439

"As cigarette butts proliferate, health, litter concerns rise" (San Diego Union Tribune, Nov 24, 2003) -- Bans on smoking indoors have had an unintended consequence more cigarette butts littering the outdoors. It is an issue some people are beginning to regard as a serious environmental problem. Across the nation, anti-litter activists are launching campaigns to get smokers to clean up after themselves. ID# 7440

"Game planning needed for Ballpark District" (San Diego Downtown News, Nov 6, 2003) -- After years of planning, litigation delays and all the construction, we can actually see the promise of a new and beautiful downtown ballpark. Soon we will be attending Major League Baseball and other events at a state-of-art venue in which we can all take pride. However, before we take our seats, let’s give some thought to the neighborhood that will be home for Petco Park. There are many East Village businesses and residents, and more will come paving ideas about the revitalization of East Village. ID# 7438

"Trips put student safety at risk" (North County Times, Nov 20, 2003) -- Rancho Buena Vista High School's Principal Alderson is the kind of principal who deserves not only our praise, but our support. We hope other principals, as well as parents, will join him in his efforts to protect students from irresponsible promoters like John Duby ("Principal battles class trip pitches," Nov. 3). ID# 7435

"Senate candidate calls for legalizing, taxing pot" (North County Times, Nov 20, 2003) -- . . . Regulating and taxing the sale of marijuana to adults could bring a minimum $2 billion annually to state coffers, Gray said. "The war on drugs has directly created an enormously large and lucrative black market that has corrupted institutions ... (and) enabled the sale of illicit drugs to provide huge amounts of funding for terrorists," Gray said in a campaign position paper. ID# 7436

"National City changes alcohol rules" (San Diego Union Tribune, Nov 20, 2003) -- NATIONAL CITY – After months of debate and community protests, city leaders have changed alcohol sales rules to lure restaurants to a $20 million downtown education complex under construction. Tuesday night, City Council members exempted the education complex, called Education Village, from a city ordinance restricting alcohol sales near schools while also expanding community input requirements for new alcohol licenses. ID# 7437

"Skyline Hills marches with conviction, protest smoke shop" (Voice & Viewpoint, Oct 9, 2003) --Pounding with resolution and booming with conviction, leaders and residents from Skyline Hills and neighboring South Bay communities marched in front of the Skyline Smoke and Gift Shop, demanding the store be shut down for allegedly selling drug paraphernalia, pornography and other items that promote negativity. ID# 7434

"Vista gang drug suspects called violent" (North County Times, Nov 17, 2003) -- Her month-old baby, her 11-year-old sister and her mother remained in the car. Inside the house, a grandmother waited to handle the deal. Her grandchildren, ages 3 and 8, were with her. Neither woman was aware that federal and local drug enforcement agents had the house under surveillance. Officers were about to raid it as they dismantled an alleged heroin ring involving members of the Vista Home Boys gang. ID# 7427

"Tobacco giveaways astounding" (North County Times, Nov 15, 2003) -- I was astounded to read that the tobacco industry was giving away smokeless tobacco to emergency fire workers at the staging areas in Valley Center and in East County. ID# 7422

"Stores sell counterfeit cigarettes, suits contend" (San Diego Union Tribune, Nov 13, 2003) -- Forty-six retailers in San Diego County were sued this week for allegedly stocking and selling counterfeit cigarettes in their stores. Philip Morris USA filed lawsuits in federal courts in San Diego and Los Angeles that seek to stop 131 retailers in Southern California from selling counterfeit cigarettes of two of the company's most popular brands, Marlboro and Marlboro Lights. ID# 7420

"Mexico City's top prosecutor calls for consideration of drug legalization" (San Diego Union Tribune, Nov 13, 2003) -- MEXICO CITY – Mexico City's top prosecutor said Thursday he thinks Mexico should consider a "gradual" legalization of drugs, in order to reduce the influence and power of drug traffickers. "I think they (drugs) could gradually be legalized, starting, for example with the prisons, where there is a whole mafia structured around control of the drug trade," said City Attorney General Bernardo Batiz. ID# 7419

"Mothers Against Drunk Driving working with elementary schools" (North County Times, Nov 11, 2003) -- The San Diego chapter is now working to teach first- through fifth-graders the damaging effects of alcohol. "Instead of learning to 'Just Say No,' they're learning about the science of their brains," said MADD San Diego County chapter President Cynthia Roark. ID# 7417

"News briefs from California's Central Coast" (North County Times, Nov 11, 2003) -- SAN LUIS OBISPO -- The county Narcotics Task Force is adding a social worker because officers on drug busts often encounter children. In some cases, methamphetamine pipes have been found tucked next to bottles of baby formula or hidden inside toys, authorities said. ID# 7412

"Tunnel for smuggling found in Calexico" (San Diego Union Tribune, Nov 12, 2003) -- CALEXICO – U.S. Border Patrol agents discovered a cross-border smuggling tunnel yesterday morning after one of their vehicles sank into the ground near a residential area, about a mile east of the Calexico border crossing. ID# 7414

"Consequence of teen drinking is death" (North County Times, Nov 11, 2003) -- It is with great sadness that I read about the death of Alex Hernandez in a traffic crash on Oct. 15. The 17-year-old victim was a senior and football player at Escondido High School. Another 17-year-old, the driver of the car in which Alex was a passenger, was arrested and charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol. Two young men's lives destroyed - one dead and one facing criminal charges. ID# 7409

"Study Women in S.D. jails use drugs more than men" (San Diego Union Tribune, Nov 10, 2003) -- WASHINGTON – They are in San Diego County's lockups, and seem to be more hardened in their cocaine and methamphetamine use than the toughest criminals They are women. In the past decade, women jailed in San Diego have been found to be using a wider variety of drugs and more frequently than men in the system, according to the Justice Department's Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program. ID# 7403

"France to push through new cigarette taxes despite claims of crime linked to anti-smoking campaign" (San Diego Union Tribune, Nov 11, 2003) -- PARIS – France will press ahead with another tax hike on cigarettes next year, a government spokesman said Monday, despite claims by tobacco shops that the price increases have sparked more thefts. Jean-Francois Cope reiterated the government's plan to raise cigarette taxes by 20 percent next year, and vowed a "very ambitious plan" to provide better security for tobacconists. ID# 7404

"University smoking policy may change" (Daily Aztec, Nov 11, 2003) -- NEW YORK (AP) - Smoking on San Diego State campus could face stricter regulations in the future. The Environmental and Safety Committee is proposing changes to the university's current smoking policy. Barbara Hemmingsen, chair of the committee, said it's recommending no smoking within 20 feet of buildings and other areas. ID# 7405

"State investigating Lung Association's complaints" (North County Times, Nov 8, 2003) -- The free distribution of tobacco products on public property violates state law and the 1998 smokeless tobacco settlement, Deputy Attorney General Amy Hertz said Tuesday. "We are taking these allegations seriously," Hertz said. "Our office vigorously enforces state laws restricting tobacco companies from giving out free products to the public. Just last week a court upheld a $14.8 million penalty in a case we brought against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. for violating the state law." ID# 7400

"Chula Vista needs to take drunken driving seriously" (San Diego Union Tribune, Nov 6, 2003) -- The two separate arrests in October of retired National City Police Chief Skip DiCerchio on drunken driving charges suggest a serious problem, and not just for DiCerchio himself. Obviously, DiCerchio needs help. He said following his first arrest he would seek treatment for an alcohol problem. We hope he's in residential treatment right now. ID# 7397

"Statutes no help in controlling alcohol outlets" (San Diego Union Tribune, Nov 6, 2003) -- As the chairman of the San Diego Alcohol Outlet Density Workgroup, I was pleased to see an article addressing the complicated issues regarding alcohol outlets in areas such as Pacific Beach. The work group was created to look into issues that affect our communities. ID# 7399

"Principal battles class trip pitches" (North County Times, Nov 3, 2003) -- At the center of the principal's anguish are brightly-colored brochures floating around campus, promising students the time of their life in places like Mexico, Hawaii and the Bahamas. They're the kind of trips that are popular with new graduates because there are no chaperones and access to beer and booze come with the territory. ID# 7396

"VOA detox center is where it should be" (San Diego Union Tribune, Nov 5, 2003) -- It's discouraging to read in "What's that detox center doing there?" (Letters, Oct. 14) that some downtown residents and businesses are trying to force the Volunteers of America detox center and rehabilitation facility to move from its present location on Island Avenue not far from the new ballpark. ID# 7394

"Local organizations crack down on parties" (Daily Aztec, Oct 2, 2003) -- Fifteen San Diego organizations joined forces in an effort to crack down on loud parties. While the majority of the project -- the SDSU College Area Party Plan -- took place during the first two weekends of school, the University Police Department at San Diego State has been continuing its efforts to help keep problems in the College Area community at a minimum. ID# 7395

"100 teens turned away from Mexico" (IV Press Online, Oct 25, 2003) -- CALEXICO Police here stopped 100 youths 17 years old and younger from entering Mexico without permission from their parents Thursday as part of an operation to keep teens from imbibing alcohol.The majority of the youths were stopped after 10 p.m., the city's curfew hour. ID# 7391

"Police set to crack down on teens crossing into Mexico to party hearty" (IV Press Online, Oct 24, 2003) -- CALEXICO Police here will conduct an operation starting tonight and running though the weekend to stop teenagers age 17 and under from crossing into Mexico without their parents.The operation is connected to an ongoing concern that youths are crossing into Mexico to party in clubs that provide alcohol to underage drinkers. ID# 7390

"We must help teens make good decisions" (North County Times, Nov 2, 2003) -- Re "Police seek source of liquor in fatal crash," Oct. 24. Thank you to Jo Moreland and the North County Times for addressing a critical question Where did a teenage driver arrested for vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence get his alcohol? At this point, there are more questions than answers, but asking the questions in a public forum like the North County Times brings needed attention to the serious problem of underage drinking. Too often these cases get minimal coverage and are perceived by the public to be another tragic accident. ID# 7373

"Kids who are bored to tears do drugs" (North County Times, Nov 2, 2003) -- I'm a senior at San Dieguito Academy. In my 12 years of schooling I have been through the DARE program and two separate health classes, all of which preach "don't do drugs," or "keep kids off drugs." I live in the Cardiff/Encinitas area and I now feel it has been just talk. The kids in this area don't have anything to do except go to overpriced movies in a run-down theater or go to the beach (on a cloudy day). ID# 7374

"Stop using movies to sell beer" (North County Times, Nov 1, 2003) -- I thought beer companies weren't supposed to target minors with their advertising. Coors has been helping to advertise for "Scary Movie 3," as well as having some product placement in the movie. These advertisements are just as much advertisements for beer as they are for the movie. ID# 7375

"Drinking not a harmless rite of passage" (North County Times, Nov 1, 2003) -- Staff writer Jo Moreland did an excellent job of bringing attention to one of the questions that my colleagues and I ask each other all the time. Where did the teen get the alcohol? ("Police seek source of liquor in teen's death," Oct. 24.) In addition to death and injuries from driving under the influence, youth alcohol problems are related to suicides and homicides, assaults, sexual violence, crime, poor school performance and family problems. ID# 7376

"We can prevent alcohol-related accidents" (North County Times, Nov 1, 2003) -- Just the other day I noticed my 18-year-old son getting into a car with three other teenagers. I approached the driver's side to see who was driving. The young man was 18 and a son of someone who lives in the neighborhood. The smell of alcohol was quite strong. ID# 7377

"Answer to tragedy is simple" (North County Times, Nov 1, 2003) -- Re "Crash victim mourned at campus ceremony," Oct. 18. Alex Hernandez's death has left scars on the community. I live in Escondido and several times a week drive past the intersection where Alex died. I didn't know him, but he sounds like the kind of person I'd like to see hanging out with my own teenage son. ID# 7378

"Alcohol banned for S.F. holiday party" (San Diego Union Tribune, Nov 2, 2003) -- In an attempt to avoid a Halloween tragedy such as last year's, in which five people were stabbed, police banned alcohol from the famed Castro Street celebration Friday. Because last year it took an ambulance more than 15 minutes to crawl through the crowd to reach a wounded man, police set up checkpoints and wide lanes for emergency vehicles along Market and Castro streets. ID# 7379

"Commercial Success?" (San Diego Union Tribune, Nov 2, 2003) -- I strongly urge that NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, Chargers owner Alex Spanos and all NFL owners review the blatantly violent beer commercial airing incessantly on NFL telecasts day and night. This commercial depicts a presumably beer-swilling social misfit tossing beer bottles into the ocean with messages for companionship. The bottles are retrieved by an island castaway. Said castaway is somehow rescued and, after locating the bottle litterbug, the unkempt former castaway attacks and presumably injures the man in his own home. Funny? I disagree. ID# 7380

"Appeals court upholds judgment against R.J. Reynolds" (North County Times, Oct 30, 2003) -- A California state law forbids the distribution of free tobacco products where children are nearby. California Attorney General Bill Lockyer sued R.J. Reynolds, the maker of Camel and other brands, after it doled out free cigarettes to 14,834 people at six public events, ranging from a San Jose beer festival to a motorcycle event in Del Mar. ID# 7371

"Police seek source of liquor in teen's death" (North County Times, Oct 24, 2003) -- Escondido High School student Alex Hernandez, 17, was one of four young people in a Nissan Altima that flipped over at high speed while passing another car the night of Oct. 14 on North Broadway Avenue, police said. Hernandez died at the scene. Officers later arrested the driver, Gustavo Rodriguez, also 17, on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence. ID# 7361

"This is scary --Coors and its 'twins' promote kids movie" (San Diego Union Tribune, Oct 24, 2003) -- Coors Brewing Co. officials say there's nothing wrong with its sponsorship of "Scary Movie 3," which opens in theaters today. After all, they say, about 70 percent of the audience for the first two "Scary Movie" movies was over 21, the legal drinking age. But the third installment of this spoof on scary movies is rated PG-13 – and that, as all parents know, means it's made for high school kids. ID# 7358

"A beach tobacco ban, but with enforcement?" (San Diego Union Tribune, Oct 23, 2003) --I want to applaud the city of Solana Beach and the passing of its no smoking on the beach ordinance this week. My three young children and I frequent many places of recreation in North County, many times with other children and parents as a group. ID# 7351

"Alcohol sales near schools a hot issue" (San Diego Union Tribune, Oct 18, 2003) --City Council members are pushing to relax a city ordinance restricting alcohol sales near schools, a change they believe is necessary to spur redevelopment in the area. The move has triggered a backlash from local anti-alcohol forces and officials at the National School District. Planning commissioners also rejected the proposal by a 7-1 margin in August. ID# 7345

"July 4th booze ban at beach is pushed" (San Diego Union Tribune, Oct 16, 2003) -- Dissatisfied with the limited effectiveness of a July Fourth ban on kegs of beer at city beaches, some Mission Bay residents are pushing for a ban on all alcohol at beaches on Independence Day. While opponents already are voicing objections, the idea has received strong support from San Diego police. "Temporary bans on alcohol are doable and reasonable," said Capt. Larry Moratto of the Northern Division, which patrols Mission Bay, Mission Beach and Pacific Beach. ID# 7340

"New law in Imperial Beach governs underage parties" (San Diego Union Tribune, Oct 16, 2003) -- The Imperial Beach City Council adopted the Social Host/House Party Ordinance on Sept. 17. Starting tomorrow when the ordinance takes effect, it will be illegal to host an underage party on private property where alcohol or illegal drugs are consumed by minors. ID# 7341

"Embattled smoke shop closes in Skyline" (San Diego Union Tribune, Oct 16, 2003) -- Skyline store that sold pipes and clothing embroidered with marijuana leaves closed after members of the community threatened to shut it down. Skyline Smoke and Gift Shop hasn't reopened since a rally and protest in front of the store Oct. 4. "I was being bombarded by everybody from every direction," said Duraid Hallak, who opened the shop two months ago. ID# 7343

"Smoking ban no ifs, ands or butts" (San Diego Union Tribune, Oct 15, 2003) -- In 1987, the same issue split the city of Del Mar wide open. Crossing ideological lines, it pitted smoker against nonsmoker, neighbor against neighbor and became a worldwide story. Convinced that tobacco posed a health hazard, former Mayor Richard Roe proposed an ordinance banning smoking on city property, including beaches, parks, sidewalks and streets. ID# 7335

"What's that detox center doing there?" (San Diego Union Tribune, Oct 14, 2003) -- Fans attending Padres games at the new Petco Park downtown may come face to face with a different kind of downtown facility. A centerfielder's throw from the baseball park is the city's de facto detox center, the place where police take public drunks who are not involved in serious offenses. The Volunteers of America's detoxification center on Island Avenue has served for more than a dozen years as a place to sober up – and longer as a place to tackle the more complex task of rehabilitation for people with serious drinking problems. ID# 7328

"Underage drinkers, beware Liquor stores, bars increasingly using scanners to test for fake IDs" (San Diego Union Tribune, Oct 13, 2003) -- BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Chris Ludy has heard it all. He's the "ID Nazi," the "ID police" – names yelled at him by Indiana University students who've tried, unsuccessfully, to use fake IDs at the liquor store he manages a few blocks off campus. He and his staff at Big Red Liquors use black lights to help them examine holograms on any number of state licenses that come through their doors. They check campus directories to see if students' addresses match those given on the licenses. And they grill people whose birth dates look doctored – often keeping the IDs they suspect are fake. ID# 7326

"Puff, the magic drag, lives not by the sea" (San Diego Union Tribune, Oct 9, 2003) -- In a state where a cigar-puffing muscle man can be elected governor in a mudslide, nothing, least of all a novel anti-smoking ordinance, shocks. Still, let me see if I've got this straight. A solitary smoker (i.e., pariah, leper, outcast, Typhoid Harry) has decided to sunbathe at Fletcher Cove, Solana Beach's man-made notch in the bluffs. ID# 7324

"City moves to ban smoking on beaches" (North County Times, Oct 8, 2003) -- By a unanimous vote, the City Council approved a ban of smoking in parks and along 1.7 miles of city beach. If adopted during a second reading at the Oct. 21 meeting, the ban would become effective Nov. 21. Smoking and substance abuse prevention groups hailed the measure, which expands an existing smoking ban in such enclosed public areas as hallways, waiting rooms, banks and restaurants. ID# 7323

"Solana Beach bans smoking on beaches" (San Diego Union Tribune, Oct 8, 2003) -- SOLANA BEACH – The city last night became the first municipality in the state to ban smoking on beaches. The City Council's vote was unanimous. The ban also includes city parks. In the coming weeks, signs will be posted at Fletcher Cove and La Colonia Park. Smokers, out of courtesy, would be expected not to light up. Enforcing the ban will not be a high priority for sheriff's deputies, City Manager Barry Johnson said. ID# 7314

"Oceanside bans alcohol in two more city parks" (San Diego Union Tribune, Oct 3, 2003) -- OCEANSIDE – The City Council has prohibited the drinking of alcohol in two more parks and will consider banning drinking in all 38 municipal parks. At the request of police, the council voted unanimously Wednesday night to forbid alcohol, without a special permit, in John Landes and Cesar Chavez parks. The action brings the number of parks where booze is banned to nine.

"Smoke shop feeling heat over pipes" (San Diego Union Tribune, Oct 4, 2003) -- Wedged between a family restaurant and a barber shop, Skyline Smoke and Gift Shop sells dozens of pipes in bright purples, greens, reds and blues. Its stock includes pipes shaped like football helmets, glass-blown pipes and one-foot-tall pipes. Signs scrawled on notebook paper hang from the glass cases, instructing customers how the pipes should be used. "All items are for tobacco use only," one sign says. "No drug slang will be allowed," says another.

"The buzz over a bar" (San Diego Union Tribune, Oct 5, 2003) -- The Honey Bee Hive Bar and Grill at 1409 C St. received a special permit last week to offer live entertainment. The three-year-old bar, which is near City College and San Diego and Garfield high schools, caused a minor stir in the community when it applied for the permit. Vitality San Diego, a nonprofit group that promotes responsible alcohol consumption, voiced concerns about adding live music to a drinking establishment so close to schools.

"Underage drinking is not a rite of passage" (San Diego Union Tribune, Oct 3, 2003) --Underage drinking in Murrieta has been inappropriately diagnosed as an unavoidable rite of passage for high school and college students. That's because alcohol producers spend billions each year on sophisticated marketing campaigns tailored to youth, sending the message that drinking is normal and an activity that everyone does. But there is nothing normal about unprotected sex, suicides, assaults, rape, fatal car crashes and negative health consequences caused by underage drinking.

"Liquor sales debate helps bring National City together" (San Diego Union Tribune, Oct 2, 2003) -- Substance abuse prevention advocates are right to be concerned about liquor licenses in National City, a town that's already saturated with liquor outlets. Mayor Nick Inzunza and the City Council are right to try to upgrade some of the town's watering holes into higher-class establishments, even if that means obtaining new liquor licenses for them.

'Drying out' Pacific Beach" (San Diego Union Tribune, Oct 1, 2003) -- Three Letters to the Editor regarding the Sept. 27 article "Cops try to dry Pacific Beach," ID# 7299.

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