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"Oceanside may pass
head shop ordinance" (Dana Littlefield,
The San Diego Union Tribune,
June 28, 2003) -- OCEANSIDE
It may soon be illegal for anyone younger than 18 to
enter businesses here that sell or display tobacco along
with drug paraphernalia. The City Council is expected to
vote Wednesday on an ordinance intended to protect youth
from exposure to items like pipes and bongs which
can be used for legal and illegal drugs by keeping
them out of so-called head shops. There are at least
three such businesses in Oceanside, the city staff said.
The council voted unanimously to adopt the proposed
ordinance on its first reading June 18, but it has to go
through a second reading to become law. Wednesday's
meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 300 N.
Coast Highway. ID# 6945
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"Encinitas targets
underage drinking, street racing" (Dana
Littlefield,
The San Diego Union Tribune,
June 28, 2003) -- ENCINITAS
The city is laying down the law to prevent underage
drinking and illegal street races. The Encinitas City
Council unanimously approved an ordinance that makes it
a misdemeanor for a person younger than 21 to consume
alcoholic beverages in public. The ordinance also makes
it illegal for anyone to host or permit a party where
alcohol would be provided to those younger than 21.
Violators will pay a $1,000 fine and/or spend up to six
months in jail. The ordinance does not apply when a
parent or guardian is supervising a person under 21
drinking alcohol, or when persons under 21 throw parties
where alcohol is provided without their parents'
knowledge. ID# 6943
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"Health secretary Illegal drug consumption down
in Mexico" (The Associated Press, The
San Diego Union Tribune,
June 26, 2003) -- MEXICO
CITY The consumption of illegal drugs in Mexico has
decreased in the past four years, although the number of
women who have tried drugs has gone up, Mexican
Secretary of Health Julio Frenk said Thursday. "In
1993, the percentage of people between the ages of 12
and 65 that consumed illegal drugs at some point in
their lives was 3.9 percent," Frenk said, citing
the results of the 2002 National Addictions Survey.
"Five years later, in 1998, this percentage had
increased to 5.3 percent. ... In 2002 the level fell
back to 5 percent.". ID# 6944
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"Alcohol ordinance
gets council OK" (Paul Sisson,
The North County Times,
June 26, 2003) -- ENCINITAS
---- Parents who facilitate booze-guzzling parties for
underage drinkers could find themselves spending six
months in the slammer or paying a $1,000 fine. At a
meeting Wednesday, the Encinitas City Council
unanimously passed an "urgency" ordinance
making any adult who gives alcohol to a person younger
than 21 or who knowingly allows a keg party in their
house guilty of a misdemeanor. The infraction carries a
maximum sentence of six months in jail and a maximum
fine of $1,000. Should anyone be injured as a result of
drinking at an adult-sanctioned house party, the
ordinance requires a minimum of six months in jail and a
minimum $1,000 fine. ID# 6928
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"Board slashes drug
treatment funding" (Wyatt Haupt,
The North County Times,
June 26, 2003) -- RIVERSIDE
---- In a move prompted by a cash shortage, the
Riverside County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday
approved cutting more than 50 percent of the money doled
out to drug treatment centers in the region for
operating a voter-approved rehabilitation program. The
23 treatment centers in the county that help administer
the programs spawned by Proposition 36 will receive $2
million for the 2003-04 fiscal year, which begins July
1. Last year, the county doled out about $4.4 million to
operate the programs. "The most direct impact we
will see are waiting lists for court-ordered
treatment," said John Ryan, county director of
mental health, who oversees the rehabilitation program. ID#
6930
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"Housing crime in
retreat" (Brian Hazle,
The San Diego Union Tribune,
June 26, 2003) -- EL
CAJON The apartment complex at 311 Ballantyne St.
across from Cajon Middle School was a legendary crime
hub overrun with dope dealers and gangs that drained law
enforcement resources for years. Police always seemed to
be there for something. Assault, burglary, drug sales,
auto theft and gang fights topped the list of crimes
common at the complex, known as the Center City
Apartments. "It was a dump," Mayor Mark Lewis
said. "A crime-ridden, roach-infested dump. We
thought about renumbering it 911." Brazen thugs
regularly bombarded cops with bottles and rocks from a
second-story walkway overlooking a center courtyard and
a mold-filled swimming pool. ID# 6917
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"City targets
underage drinking" (Dana Littlefield,
The San Diego Union Tribune,
June 25, 2003) -- ENCINITAS
The city is laying down the law to prevent underage
drinking and illegal street races. The Encinitas City
Council unanimously approved an ordinance that makes it
a misdemeanor for a person under 21 to consume alcoholic
beverages in public. The ordinance also makes it illegal
for anyone to host or permit a party where alcohol would
be provided to those under 21. Violators will pay a
$1,000 fine and/or spend up to six months in jail. The
ordinance does not apply when a parent or guardian is
supervising a person under 21 drinking alcohol, or when
persons under 21 throw parties where alcohol is provided
without their parents' knowledge. ID# 6916
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"Police cracking
down on young offenders" (The North County Times,
June 25, 2003) -- CARLSBAD
---- Police started summer enforcement this week against
young offenders in Carlsbad. On Monday night, juvenile
detectives, resource officers and detective Sgt. Don De
Tar arrested three youths for illegally possessing
alcohol. They also ticketed five bicycle riders who
didn't have safety helmets or lights. "We broke up
a pretty good party down at the (Agua Hedionda)
lagoon," De Tar said Tuesday. ID# 6914
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"Party law would
hold adults accountable" (Adam Kaye,
The North County Times,
June 24, 2003) -- ENCINITAS
---- A draft ordinance on the City Council's Wednesday
agenda would bring fines and even jail time to adults
who permit underage drinking at their Encinitas homes.
Prevention groups across the county are delivering
proposed code language to cities with the message that
teens drink more at private homes than anyplace else.
Last week, the county Board of Supervisors adopted a
"social host ordinance" that would make adults
guilty of a misdemeanor if they let persons under 21
drink alcohol or provide alcohol on private property. ID#
6905
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"County seeks rehab
center cuts" (The North County Times,
June 24, 2003) -- RIVERSIDE
(AP) ---- The county is moving to slash funding that
puts drug abusers in rehabilitation facilities instead
of jail. Treatment centers expanded to handle the flow
of drug offenders under Proposition 36 are now laying
off counselors, halting admissions and drawing up long
waiting lists. The Coalition of Substance Abuse
Providers, a nine-member association of treatment
centers in Riverside County, said county officials have
blindsided it with funding cuts that could deny people
the help the law requires. ID# 6909
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"Task force warns
of dangers of club drugs" (Shanna McCord,
The San Diego Union Tribune,
June 25, 2003) -- DEL
MAR They have cute names like "Hug Drug,"
"Love Drug," and "Disco Biscuits."
But the synthetic drugs, taken by a growing number of
young people, can leave ugly consequences that last a
lifetime, members of the San Diego County Club Drug Task
Force said at a news conference yesterday morning at the
county fair. The event kicked off the task force's new
anti-drug campaign. "We know if kids are given the
right information about what the drugs can do to their
bodies, they will make the right decision," said
Liz Lebron, a member of the task force and a director
with the San Diego County Office of Education.
Yesterday's event included speakers and the unveiling of
posters and research done as part of a class project by
marketing students at San Diego State University. ID#
6907
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"Council says no to
beer sales at ARCO" (The San Diego Union
Tribune,
June 18, 2003) -- A
request by the owner of a service station to sell beer
and wine at the station was rejected yesterday by the
San Diego City Council. Arkan Somo sought a permit to
sell the beverages as part of a minimart in the
converted service bays of his College ARCO station at
5111 College Ave. ID# 6877
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"For the zoo,
problems on the grounds and off" (Debra
Kelly,
The San Diego Union
Tribune,
June 14, 2003) -- The
American Lung Association's Tobacco-Free Communities
Coalition is challenging the San Diego Zoological
Society to follow the lead of the Los Angeles Zoo and
make the grounds of both the San Diego Zoo and the Wild
Animal Park smoke-free. What a gift to visitors such as
Orem Spiegler of Pennsylvania, whose letter of June 6
encourages this move. California leads the nation in
smoke-free environments. As an example of environmental
stewardship, the Zoo and Wild Animal Park would be
widely congratulated for going smoke-free. ID#
6878
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"Drunken-Driving
Campaign Targets Young Men" (The San Diego
Channel,
June 19, 2003) -- SAN
DIEGO -- Law enforcement agencies around the national
are getting fedeal help in their efforts to crack down
on drunken drivers this summer. The $11 million campaign
is called, "You Drink & Drive, You Lose."
It is the first time a national advertisement campaign
is supporting a local DUI enforcement effort. The ads
will run from June 20 to July 13. and will target men
ages 21 to 34 and focus on the consequences drunken
driving. Law enforcement agencies will also step up DUI
enforcement with additional saturation patrols and
sobriety checkpoints. ID# 6887
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"Mission Beach is
off to a 'bang-up' summer" (The San Diego Union
Tribune,
June 22, 2003) -- Residents
of Mission Beach are used to the huge crowds of summer;
if you don't like people, you don't live here. However,
we're becoming increasingly concerned about the increase
in violence, more often than not fueled by alcohol. The
police spend a lot of their time baby-sitting drunks,
both at the beach and around the numerous bars in the
area, so the amount of manpower thrown into the
situation is severely diluted. It is indeed impressive
that they were able to reach the scene of the latest
shooting in Bonita Cove so quickly. ID# 6885
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"Booze ads target
black teens, report finds" (Frank Green,
The San Diego Union
Tribune,
June 20, 2003) -- It
seems that everywhere Cleo Malone looks these days,
distillers and brewers are trying to grab the attention
of black teenagers. Rappers like Ice-T extol the
smoothness of various malt liquors, dozens of pages of
alcohol ads routinely run in black youth-culture
periodicals such as Vibe, while billboards saturate poor
neighborhoods with beer pitches. "The models they
use in the ads have to be 21, but they're the youngest
21-year-olds you'll ever see," said Malone,
director of Palavra House, an alcohol-and drug-recovery
agency on 43rd Street in San Diego. "The models
also dress down by wearing apparel popular with
15-year-old kids." The message in most of the spots
Drinking "will make you feel good and look
good," Malone said. ID# 6874
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"No skirting of
Prop. 36 language, court rules" (The San Diego Union
Tribune,
June 20, 2003) -- SAN
FRANCISCO California judges can't override the
language of Proposition 36 by granting treatment to
low-level drug offenders who have recent criminal
histories, the state Supreme Court ruled yesterday. The
justices, in their first ruling on the 2000
voter-approved initiative, said the electorate's will
must be followed. That means drug offenders who have
committed felonies and were in prison within five years
of a narcotics arrest aren't qualified for leniency
under the measure, the justices said. "We believe
our holding best accords with the ballot summary,
argument and analysis of Proposition 36 distributed to
voters," Justice Marvin R. Baxter wrote for the
unanimous court. ID# 6873
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"AMA to seek
stronger tobacco warnings" (Lindsey Tanner,
The San Diego Union
Tribune,
June 16, 2003) -- CHICAGO
The American Medical Association voted Wednesday to
seek stronger health warnings on tobacco products,
including pictures and larger, more pithy messages. The
nation's largest doctors' group also adopted a policy
calling for increased awareness for underage drinking
and supporting excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco. The
votes came at the AMA's annual meeting after Dr. Julie
Gerberding, director of the federal Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, told the gathering that tobacco
and alcohol remain top killers nationwide. ID#
6864
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"Booze ban returns
on July 4 weekend" (The San Diego Union
Tribune,
June 18, 2003) -- Alcohol
will be prohibited on city beaches, parks and public
areas here from 6 p.m. July 3 through 6 a.m. July 7.
Fights and other disturbances linked to alcohol during
the Fourth of July holiday had become a recurring
problem that peaked in 2001 when a brawl broke out in a
crowd of more than 1,500 people. ID# 6853
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"Youths busy on
both sides of smoking-ban issue" (Martha
Irvine, The San Diego Tribune,
June 15, 2003) -- CHICAGO
You could say Kyle Damitz, 14, helped pioneer a
movement that has snuffed out smoking in many
restaurants and bars nationwide. More than eight years
ago, he and his brother talked the owners of their local
bowling alley into a ban on cigarettes and cigars during
youth leagues a minor coup in smoker-friendly
Chicago. Now the eighth-grader is helping push proposals
that would make it illegal to smoke in many public
places in his city and neighboring Skokie, Ill. He's
among the young people nationwide getting involved in
the tobacco debate an issue that resonates strongly
with them since many take up smoking during their teen
years, while others make a conscious decision not to. ID#
6834
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"Regulate tobacco?" (The
San Diego Tribune,
June 16, 2003) -- Breezes
of change are beginning to stir the old oaks in
Washington regarding tobacco, its health dangers, and
what to do about a legal product that experts say kills
400,000 Americans every year. U.S. Surgeon General
Richard Carmona surprised many at a House subcommittee
hearing earlier this month when, in response to a
question, he said he would support the banning of all
tobacco products. "If Congress chose to go that
way, that would be up to them," he said. "But
I see no need for any tobacco products in society."
It was the first time that any surgeon general had
supported such a far-reaching step, going significantly
further even than one of his outspoken predecessors, C.
Everett Koop, who said in the mid-1980s that he
supported a ban on all cigarette advertising and
promotion. ID# 6833
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"Access to alcohol" (The
San Diego Union Tribune,
June 16, 2003) -- A
proposal to open a liquor store near a freshman
dormitory at San Diego State University is a bad idea.
Arkan Somo, a leader of the merchants association for
small markets and liquor stores, wants to tear out the
automotive service bays at his College Arco station and
turn them into a minimart that sells beer and wine. This
station, at College Avenue and Montezuma Road, is steps
away from SDSU dorms. The city Planning Commission
turned down Somo's request for a conditional-use permit
that would allow him to sell alcohol. He's appealing
that decision to the City Council tomorrow, and
Councilman Jim Madaffer, who represents the College
Area, apparently supports him. ID# 6831
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"Alcohol ban at
Oregon dunes reduces rowdiness, irks riders" (Jeff
Barnard, The San Diego Union Tribune,
June 15, 2003) -- NORTH
BEND, Ore. Bart Jones and his buddies were
undeterred by the rain and cold while riding their
all-terrain vehicles around the dunes at Horsefal Beach.
But a new U.S. Forest Service alcohol ban within the
Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area had them steaming
back in camp and threatening to take their ATVs and
their money somewhere else. "They made me get a
hotel room because they found nine beers in my cooler
and I was drinking a Coca-Cola making my dinner,"
said Jones, a 27-year-old construction worker from
Olympia, Wash. ID# 6832
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"Grads to get
sobering reminder" (Erin Walsh, The North
County Times,
June 11, 2003) -- OCEANSIDE
---- Thinking of letting your new high school graduate
throw a party at your house? If the celebration involves
underage drinking, you could be staring at a $1,000
fine, six months in jail and a hefty bill from the
Police Department if anyone calls the cops. That's the
message the Tri-City Prevention Collaborative is trying
to get across to Oceanside parents and other adults this
week as a new city ordinance against teen drinking goes
into effect. ID# 6805
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"Escondido's
drinking law sets good example" (Janice
Harris, The North County Times,
June 11, 2003) -- As
a parent and resident of Fallbrook, I want to thank
Escondido for setting a fine example in passing a very
important ordinance ("City ordinance aims to
curtail underage drinking Escondido OKs stiffer
penalties for adult hosts of house parties," May
29). ID# 6806
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"Permit (to party)
granted" (David L. Coddon, The San Diego Union
Tribune,
June 12, 2003) -- "Wanna
work the door Tuesday night?" Live Wire co-owner
Sam Chammas asks me, and I half-believe he means it. He
knows I like Live Wire I have from its early days
back in 1992. "The best thing to have at the door
is a good brain," he says. Priding myself in that,
over brawn, I consider it. For a second. Nah. Live Wire
already has a "name" on the payroll
singer-guitarist Mitch Wilson of the local rockers No
Knife tends bar here it doesn't need me. Besides,
work and fun don't mix. But then you knew that. ID#
6807
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"Fliers to be given
on teen drinking" (The San Diego Union
Tribune,
June 11, 2003) -- OCEANSIDE
The Tri-City Prevention Collaborative will distribute
fliers today before Oceanside High's graduation
ceremonies to let parents know that city law holds them
responsible for underage drinking. The distribution is
part of the "Parents who host lose the most"
campaign, and the goal is to reduce consumption of
alcohol, tobacco and drugs in Oceanside, Carlsbad and
Vista. ID# 6799
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"Alcohol industry
contributes to teen STDs, death" (The
North County Times,
June 10, 2003) -- My
previous letter to Mothers Against Drunk Driving
concerning ads by the alcoholic industry was meant to
condemn this means of meeting between young people of
the various races, be they green, blue or orange. I
assume that parents of these children would be far less
concerned if such meetings took place in a hall of
education, with adult control of the circumstances. Some
interesting facts by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention state that there are 3 million new cases of
sexually transmitted diseases occurring every year among
young people today, and that 90 percent of females
engaging in intercourse without birth control over the
course of one year will become pregnant. ID# 6798
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"New
Ordinance will protect a parents right to control
When and How their Children are introduced to alcohol" (The
El Cajon Gazette ,
June 3, 2003) -- The
El Cajon City Council followed the example set by
several other cities in San Diego County by passing an
ordinance to crack down on underage drinking parties.
The new law plugs a loophole in the law by making it
illegal for adults to provide alcohol to minors at
drinking parties held in private residences. In taking
th8s action, El Cajon joins the Cities of La Mesa, San
Diego, Oceanside, and Poway; all of which have passed
ordinances which provide $1000 fine for adults who
knowingly provide alcohol to minors. All of the new
ordinances are directed at underage drinking parties,
not at the small amounts of alcohol that is often used
at religious services or that might be provided by a
parent to their own children as part of a family dinner. ID#
6797
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"Lawsuit to stop
anti-smoking ads gets court hearing Wednesday" (Jessica
Brice, The San Diego Union Tribune,
June 10, 2003) -- SACRAMENTO
Two of the nation's largest cigarette makers will
bring their fight against tough anti-smoking ads to a
federal Sacramento courtroom Wednesday. It's part of a
bicoastal battle against advertisements that tobacco
companies say violate their constitutional rights to a
fair trial. Tobacco giants R.J. Reynolds and Lorillard
allege California's television and print advertisements
unfairly portray tobacco executives as deviously
plotting to hook teens on smoking. One such television
spot shows children in a playground with cigarettes
raining down on them, said Charles A. Blixt, executive
vice president and chief counsel for R.J. Reynolds,
which is based in Winston-Salem, N.C. ID# 6800
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"Graduation
Season And Alcohol" (Yahoo News ,
June 8, 2003) -- Graduation
season is here and the celebrations can lead to a
fabulous time for seniors. But, certain responsibilites
need to be observed, especially those concerning
alcohol. Monica Zech, safety officer with the El Cajon
Fire Department, offers tips to help parents talk to
their children about alcohol and graduation
celebrations. Often, adults mistakenly believe that if
young people will be drinking during their graduation
celebrations anyway, that they, as parents, are doing a
good thing by providing a safe drinking environment. ID#
6780
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"New
rules set for Logan Heights store" (Joe
Hughes,
The San Diego Union Tribune,
June 6, 2003) -- No
more malt liquor and fortified wine. No more loitering
in the liquor store parking lot. No more hiring
questionable security guards. Those are the rules laid
down in a preliminary injunction secured by the City
Attorney's Office against Mullen's Market in Logan
Heights after a 16-month investigation. City Attorney
Casey Gwinn said the investigation into the Imperial
Avenue business was spawned by complaints from residents
and police that the site had become a supermarket for
drug sales and other crime. "The abatement action
is intended to provide the community relief from the
criminal and nuisance activity that has been occurring
on this property for years," Gwinn said. ID#
6770
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"As smoking ban
movement gains momentum, youth get involved on both
sides of the issue" (Martha Irvine,
The
San Diego Union Tribune,
June 4, 2003) -- CHICAGO
You could say 14-year-old Kyle Damitz helped pioneer
a movement that has snuffed out smoking in many
restaurants and bars nationwide. More than eight years
ago, he and his brother talked the owners of their local
bowling alley into a ban on cigarettes and cigars during
youth leagues a minor coup in smoker-friendly
Chicago. Now the eighth-grader is helping push proposals
that would make it illegal to smoke in many public
places in his city and neighboring Skokie, Ill. He's
among the young people nationwide getting involved in
the tobacco debate an issue that resonates strongly
with them since many take up smoking during their teen
years, while others make a conscious decision not to. ID#
6765
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"And the beat goes
on
." (Mariana Martinez, La Prensa de
San Diego,
May 30, 2003) -- Efforts
to stop dangerous partying in border cities and this
years reported statistics...Downtown, Tijuana is
about bright lights and loud music on every corner of
the famous Revolution Street. On the sidewalk, waiters
invite everyone taking a stroll down the street to come
in and have a drink "on the house", they
entice you with "free for the ladies," "2
x 1," "margaritas." Friday night plan
seems perfect for the thousand American high school and
college students along with the many marines or military
staff stationed in the city of San Diego. ID# 6758
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"Anti-smoking group
says movie trailers contain too much smoking" (The
North
County Times,
June 1, 2003) -- LOS
ANGELES (AP) ---- An anti-smoking group said Saturday
that youngsters are seeing too much smoking when they
watch commercials for many popular movies. Tobacco use
was found in 14 percent of the movie trailers that
appeared on television and were studied by the American
Legacy Foundation. They included trailers for some of
the biggest hits of 2001, including the Oscar-winning
"A Beautiful Mind," the group said. The
foundation estimated that during the yearlong period
studied, more than 90 percent of all U.S. youngsters 12
to 17 years old had seen at least one trailer with
smoking. ID# 6760
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"City approves
measure; bans underage drinking in private homes" (Isaac
Cubillos, East County Californian, May 30, 2003) --
EL CAJON The City of El
Cajon adopted an emergency ordinance to deal with adults
who provide alcohol to minors. In a 50 vote on
Wednesday, May 28, approved the measure that makes it a
misdemeanor to serve alcohol to minors in private
residences and parties. "This will protect youth
and save lives," said Brenda Simmons of the El
Cajon Collaborative, one of the organizations supporting
the ban. "Drinking is not a right of passage,"
she said and urged that adults think of the consequences
before giving alcohol to minors. ID# 6751
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"Stiffer underage
drinking restrictions considered by council" (Tanya
Rodriguez, The
North County Times,
May 28, 2003) -- ESCONDIDO
---- Adults who allow or enable underage drinking at
their homes could now face as stiff a penalty as if a
police officer witnessed them handing a beer to a minor,
under a proposal to be considered by the City Council on
Wednesday. The proposed ordinance, which has been
adopted by city councils in Poway and Oceanside at the
urging of the Poway-based nonprofit group North Inland
Community Prevention Program, will be discussed during
the council's 4 p.m. meeting at its chambers at City
Hall, 201 N. Broadway. ID# 6734
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"To keg or not to
keg?" (Margot Jackson, The
North County Times,
May 28, 2003) -- Definitely,
the answer is not to keg, which means that if you're off
to a city beach to celebrate the Fourth of July, kegs
are out quicker than you can say
supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Believe it or don't,
the Fourth of July is only a month and a few days from
now and an ordinance barring kegs on the beaches was
tentatively adopted by a 9-0 vote by the San Diego City
Council last week. If passed on a second reading, it
will mean a fine of $250 per keg. In passing the
measure, council members argued that kegs give minors
access to alcohol, encourage more consumption and lead
to larger parties. The proposed ordinance is just a
one-year trial to evaluate its effectiveness at reducing
the usual alcohol-related problems at city beaches and
bays. ID# 6735
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"Hosts barred from
giving minor liquor" (The San Diego Union
Tribunel,
May 29, 2003) -- ESCONDIDO
The city yesterday became the sixth in the county to
make it a misdemeanor to provide minors with alcohol in
a private setting like a house party. The City Council
voted unanimously to make it illegal to host or allow a
party where three or more minors are gathered and at
least one is drinking alcohol. "I think this really
shows that they care what's going on," said Natalie
Troxel, president of the Escondido Youth Commission and
a senior at Orange Glen High School. She said underage
drinking has "become too much of a norm." ID#
6737
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"Poway offers "safe ride" program" (Kathryn
Holt, The North County Times, May 24, 2003) --
POWAY ----- The city will
be offering safe rides to intoxicated individuals at no
cost during the Memorial Day weekend through a
designated driver program. "If we keep someone from
driving, who is intoxicated or has abused a substance,
we can potentially save that persons life and
others," said Councilman Jay Goldby. "This
program doesn't cost the city much. It stands alone.
After all, what price tag can we put on saving a
person's life?" Restaurants and bars in Poway have
been given fliers and business cards promoting the
safe-ride program. From 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. today and
Sunday, a minimum of four teams of two drivers will be
available to respond to calls. The drivers are from the
Designated Drivers Association. ID# 6710
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"Alcohol ads must be more responsible" (Norman
Dasher, The North County Times, May 26, 2003) --
The spate of commercials
for beer and other alcoholic beverages for the very
young consisting of frenzied so-called dancing by
attractive, underdressed young women and young men of
mixed ethnic identities depicts activities being
encouraged by the imbibing of alcohol to excess. Those
engaging in this practice will, at some point in time,
be in need of transportation, which will increase the
dangers to themselves, their passengers and innocent
bystanders if they are not monitored by authorities. ID#
6711
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"Hold adults responsible for minors' drinking" (Juhi
Luthra, The San Diego Union Tribune, May 23, 2003) --
San Diego City Council
deserves credit for making adults responsible for
hosting parties where minors can drink alcohol. Now
county supervisors and other municipalities are looking
at tightening the same legal loopholes. The new San
Diego House Party Ordinance authorizes a $1,000 fine
and/or six months in jail. Underage drinking is an adult
problem, because adults are the source for the alcohol
the number one drug of choice in San Diego County. ID#
6699
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"Air Force says alcohol involved in 40 percent of
alleged academy assaults" (The San Diego Union Tribune, May 22, 2003) --
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.
Alcohol played a role in almost half of alleged
sexual assaults involving Air Force Academy cadets that
have come to light in the past decade, according to a
military report. Air Force officials Wednesday told U.S.
Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colo. that the finding is part of
the General Counsel Working Group report, a
yet-to-be-released review based on investigations of 56
alleged sexual assaults by cadets since 1993. Hefley, a
member of an advisory board that oversees the academy,
declined to elaborate but said the report won't be an
indictment of the academy or the Air Force. ID#
6698
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"Drug testing in schools Can it cause harm?" (Howard
Taras, The San Diego Union Tribune, May 22, 2003) --
Many schools and districts
are performing drug tests or are considering drug
screens for students entering competitive sports, other
physical extracurricular activities such as school band
and cheerleading, and non-active, extracurricular
activities such as chess club or the debate team. A
recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling permits this to occur.
Local school districts need not adopt this practice,
however, and states are still permitted to disallow this
practice to protect individual rights within the state's
constitution. Where student drug testing is currently
practiced, students testing positive are typically
excluded from their desired extracurricular activity
until they are cleared with another screen. ID#
6701
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"Maryland governor signs medical marijuana bill
into law" (Angela Potter, The San Diego Union Tribune, May 22, 2003) --
BALTIMORE Refusing to
bend to pressure from the Bush administration,
Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich signed a bill Thursday
that reduces criminal penalties for seriously ill people
who smoke marijuana. Ehrlich is the first GOP governor
to sign a bill protecting medical marijuana patients
from jail, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.
The Bush administration had pressed him to veto the
measure. Ehrlich had indicated his support for the bill
early on as a way to help people with chronic illnesses
ease their pain. ID# 6700
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"Closely Monitored Teens Drink Less" (The San Diego
Channel, May 23, 2003) --
Your teens might call you
overbearing, but a new study finds even more reason to
ask them where they're going and who they're with.
Adolescents whose parents closely monitor their
activities are less likely to use alcohol or to be in
risky situations involving alcohol, suggests new
research published in the American Journal of Health
Behavior. "Teens who report being consistently
monitored by their parents were significantly less
likely to be involved in a variety of alcohol-risk
activities," said Kenneth H. Beck, from the
Department of Public and Community Health at the
University of Maryland College Park. Therefore, the team
said, "Programs that show promise for instilling
greater parental monitoring need to be expanded." ID#
6702
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"Underage drinking ordinance adopted" (Brian
Hazle, The San Diego Union Tribune, May 22, 2003) --
LA MESA The push to
punish those who endorse underage drinking at private
parties has reached La Mesa. The City Council adopted an
ordinance last week, making it a misdemeanor to furnish
alcohol to minors in private settings. The law targets
the owner or lessee of the house, the person in charge
at the party or the person who organized it. The move to
increase the penalties has gained countywide
momentum in recent months as more and more cities
consider ways to curb underage drinking. Officials also
want to reduce the amount of time police spend breaking
up house parties, which frequently attract hundreds of
revelers. ID# 6692
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"Two parents charged in hazing incident" (Megan
Reichgott, The San Diego Union Tribune, May 22, 2003) --
SKOKIE, Ill. Two
parents were charged yesterday with supplying alcohol to
students at a suburban Chicago high school who
participated in a hazing incident captured on videotape.
Christine Neal, 49, was charged with delivery of alcohol
to a minor for buying three kegs of beer, two of which
were found at the park where the hazing took place,
prosecutors said. Marcy Spiwak, 49, was charged with
allowing her home to be used for underage drinking. Neal
is the mother of student Dominic Vargas, 18, who was
charged with unlawful possession of alcohol by a minor.
Authorities said Vargas brought the kegs to the May 4
"powder puff" event where junior girls from
Glenbrook North High School were hazed by seniors. ID#
6693
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"Parks become party havens on weekends" (Rex
Huxford, The North County Times, May 19, 2003) --
I have my eye on two
Temecula parks, Nicolas and Margarita, and often illegal
activity is occurring after dark on the
"party" nights of Fridays, Saturdays and, less
often, Sundays. The partiers race cars down the streets
to get there, or arrive on foot from the adjacent tracts
of homes. ID# 6658
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"U.S. may now back anti-tobacco treaty" (Clare
Nullis, The San Diego Union Tribune, May 19, 2003) --
In a major shift in
position, the United States indicated yesterday that it
would back a global anti-tobacco treaty due to be
adopted at the World Health Organization's annual
assembly. The treaty, four years in the making,
envisages total bans or restrictions on advertising and
marketing, new labeling controls and a clamp on
smuggling and secondhand smoke. Besides the treaty, the
192-nation health assembly, which opens today, will be
dominated by discussions of the SARS virus and WHO's
efforts to change global health regulations to cope with
new infectious diseases and the threat of bioterrorism. ID#
6657
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"Drinking age is unjustified, nonsensical" (Marianne
Madden, The UCSD Guardian, May 15, 2003) --
The Sun God Festival is on its way to UCSD on May 16,
bringing with it the wholesale shedding of our student
body's preoccupation with academics in favor of the
revered collegiate institution drunken revelry on a
massive scale despite the small obstacle posed by hordes
of CSOs vainly trying to enforce the minimum legal
drinking age.It was in 1984 that the Uniform Drinking
Age Act was enacted, which effectively forced all states
to raise the drinking age to 21. While it was enacted
with legitimate concerns in mind -- primarily teenage
drunk driving, alcohol poisoning and alcoholism -- in
practice the law is punitive, dogmatic, ineffective and
damaging. ID# 6649
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"Holding adults responsible for teen drinking" (Debbie
Comstock, et al, The San Diego Union Tribune, May
15, 2003) -- Comstock, Law and Wilham reside in El
Cajon and are parents of teen-agers. More information on
the social host ordinance is avai Many adults view
underage drinking as a rite of passage. They also
mistakenly believe that drinking alcohol is not as bad
as using other drugs, and since young people will drink
anyway, providing them a safe environment to drink is
the responsible thing to do. Unfortunately, since
alcohol is one of the most common contributors to
injury, death and criminal behavior among youths, these
supervised underage drinking parties are anything but
safe. Research indicates that introducing young people
to alcohol at an early age leaves them more vulnerable
to alcohol and other drug-related problems later in
life. ID# 6651
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"Cigarette tax will improve the state's fiscal
health" (Rob
O'Dell, The San Diego Union Tribune, May 15, 2003) --
Leary is chairman of the board of the American Cancer
Society. Moore is president of the American Heart
Association, Western States Affiliate. Kennedy is
chairman of the board of the American Lung Association
of California. Gov. Gray Davis and the Legislature face
tough decisions to close a record budget shortfall and
protect essential state services. But one decision
should be easy because it would significantly improve
both the fiscal health of California and the health of
Californians. ID# 6652
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"Officials reject needle exchange program again" (Rob
O'Dell, The North County
Times, May 13, 2003) -- A fourth try at
creating a needle exchange program for intravenous drug
users was narrowly defeated by the county Board of
Supervisors on Tuesday. By the same 3-2 vote, the board
also voted to oppose a state bill that would allow
needles to be sold at pharmacies without a prescription.
The contentious needle-exchange issue, which was debated
several times over the last year, pitted the philosophy
of those in law enforcement against those in the
county's health agency. County health officials, led by
Director Gary Feldman, have persistently pushed the
program, contending that it is desperately needed to
stop the spread of hepatitis C and AIDS through the
sharing of needles. ID# 6653
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"Board to revive needle debate" (Rob
O'Dell,
The North County
Times, May 13, 2003) -- The
county Board of Supervisors will today revive a
contentious debate over whether the county should begin
a needle-exchange program for intravenous drug users.
But the proposal by the county Department of
Environmental Health has received a chilly response from
several supervisors, and it is one of the only issues
that tends to split the generally unified board. The
board has considered the issue three times over the past
year, and each time the board decided to delay a
decision to get more information. ID# 6645
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"Supplier beware House-party law about to be passed" (Michael
Stetz,
The San Diego
Union Tribune, May
13, 2003) -- Say
a 21-year-old is holding a rocking party and in walks a
buddy from his chem class who's a year or so shy of the
legal age to actually down the refreshments. Think the
host is likely to check his friend's ID before his buddy
bellies up to the keg or goes for a cold one? That soon
could be a wise idea. Because at 21, the party-thrower
is an adult, and he could find himself under arrest for
supplying alcohol to a minor under a new get-tough law
that the San Diego City Council is braced to pass. ID#
6643
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"Oggi's Pizza
owner wants one more hour" (Jennifer Kabbani,
The North County
Times, May 12, 2003) -- An
hour can make a big difference at Oggi's Pizza and
Brewing Company, according to its owner Daniel Borshell.
He has asked the City Council to let him sell alcohol
until midnight rather than having to shut off the taps
at the Melrose Drive restaurant at 11 p.m. But city
staffers, citing the crime rate in the area, have
recommended his request be denied. "It's a bunch of
crap is what it is," said Borshell. "I've
brought a lot of business to this town. It's not like
I'm asking to stay open until 2 in the morning."
Rick Dudley, assistant city manager, said his staff
"based the recommendation on the City Council
policies." ID# 6636
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"Frothing controversy" (Pete Coates,
The San Diego
Union Tribune, May 10, 2003) --
After an alcohol problem
almost ruined his marriage 20 years ago, Lendell Martin
stopped drinking beer. So when the Bassmaster
professional fishing tour asked him to wear a patch
advertising Busch beer, Martin refused...Still, the
49-year-old fisherman from Nacogdoches, Texas, has no
regrets about leaving the oldest bass fishing tour.
"I just feel like it was something I couldn't
do," Martin said. "If they want to take
Budweiser beer as a sponsor, that's fine. But don't
force it down everyone else's throat." ID#
6627
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"County supervisors target adult parties where
minors get alcohol" (The San Diego Union Tribune, May
6, 2003) --
The San Diego County Board
of Supervisors asked county staff today to create an
ordinance cracking down on adults who host parties where
minors can drink alcohol. If an ordinance is eventually
approved, an adult who hosts an underage drinking party
likely would be subject to a misdemeanor charge carrying
a $1,000 fine and/or six months in jail. ID#
6611
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"S.D. keg ban should be more extensive" (Tracy
Gamble, The San Diego Union Tribune, May 6, 2003) --
Regarding "SD panel
OKs ban on beach beer kegs" (May 1), a ban on beer
kegs at the beach will not only make the beach a safer
place but increase law enforcement's ability to control
crowds and focus on public needs. A ban on just Friday,
the Fourth of July, will have no impact on the following
weekend. ID# 6605
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"Medical marijuana law a mistake" (Libba
Jackson D'Ambrosi, The San Diego Union Tribune, May
6, 2003) -- Your
article on the sentencing of Steve McWilliams
("Marijuana activist sentenced to prison,"
April 29) has some serious deficits that tend to paint
McWilliams as a victim of the feds. You fail to mention
that police confiscated 448 plants from McWilliams in
l999. That's not advocacy, that's possession, and that's
what got him in court. California and now San Diego law
on medical use of marijuana is unworkable. ID#
6604
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"Program measures alcohol use among college
students" (Lorena Lava, The Daily Aztec, May
6, 2003) -- Drunk
driving among San Diego State students dropped 22
percent between 2000 and 2003, according to a campus
survey. However, the survey - conducted by the campus
Community College Alcohol Prevention Partnership - also
found 25 percent of students drink in a manner that may
be dangerous. "About half of those high-risk
drinkers reported a variety of problems, such as missing
classes, passing out or being injured as a result of
alcohol," said James Lange, coordinator for alcohol
and other drug initiatives for Student Health Services.
The CCAPP survey on alcohol dependency reflects the
responses from a random sample of 400 SDSU students this
semester. ID#
6603
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"Beer advertisements line campus arenas" (Abra
DeGeare, The Daily Aztec, May 5, 2003) --
It's Miller time. For many
locations on campus, this slogan is apparent. The Aztec
Recreation Center, Aztrack, Cox Arena, Open Air Theatre
and Tony Gwynn Stadium don at least one sign
representing the Miller Brewing Company. A university
endorsing a beer company may seem like it's sending a
mixed message, but officials at San Diego State
disagree. "The university has taken very proactive
stances against underage drinking," Media Relations
Manager Jason Foster said. "The university has not
taken the anti-alcohol position. The fact is, it is
certainly legal for most of our student body to
drink." One College Area resident disagrees with
the advertisements. ID# 6589
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"Activists say Cinco de Mayo being co-opted by
alcohol industry" (Deborah Kong. The San Diego Union Tribune, May
1, 2003) --
At the Cinco de Mayo
celebrations of his childhood, John Zamora remembers the
sound of mariachis, the taste of tamales and mischievous
kids cracking confetti-filled eggshells on each other's
heads. When Zamora became a father, he brought his own
children to the celebrations, then his grandchildren.
But the crowds got bigger and people were drinking too
much. Finally, he stopped going. Now head of the Cinco
de Mayo parade committee in San Jose, the 67-year-old
Zamora wants to return to the family-oriented
festivities he remembers. "I didn't feel it was
safe anymore to take my grandchildren," Zamora
said. "We're bringing it back." ID#
6584
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"S.D. council panel OKs beer keg ban for July 4" (Ray
Huard, The San Diego Union Tribune, May 1, 2003) --
Kegs of beer and any
alcoholic beverages in containers of 3 gallons or more
would be banned from San Diego beaches and Mission Bay
Park on July 4 under a proposal passed by a City Council
committee yesterday. "Let the media get the message
out that on the Fourth of July you don't bring a keg to
the beach," said Councilman Michael Zucchet, who
proposed the ban as a way to curtail drunken rowdiness.
The ban won the unanimous support of the Public Safety
and Neighborhood Services Committee and could go to the
council for a final vote as soon as May 12. ID#
6575
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"Tobacco tax crackdown considered by Senate
committee" (Jessica Brice, The San Diego
Union Tribune, Apr 30, 2003) --
As state officials consider
a hike in cigarette taxes to boost state revenues, a
Senate committee on Wednesday approved a bill that could
make it more difficult for smokers to dodge state taxes.
The bill, by Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Marina del Rey, would
ban the sale of tobacco and cigarettes by Internet or
mail-order companies that skirt federal and state tax
laws. If passed, the bill would help state officials tap
into the estimated $40 million to $50 million that the
state loses annually by smokers who find ways to avoid
the tax. ID# 6576
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"Bill to raise legal smoking age founders" (James
P. Sweeney, The San Diego Union Tribune, Apr
29, 2003) -- Portrayed
against images of young soldiers fighting abroad, a
proposal to boost the legal smoking age to 21 in
California failed to clear its first committee yesterday
and may be finished for the year. The legislation
sponsored by a powerful doctors' lobby attracted
national attention and enjoyed a brief run in the state
Senate last year. The bill would raise the legal smoking
age in California from 18 to 21, more restrictive than
any other state. But the measure by Assemblyman Paul
Koretz, D-West Hollywood, was sent packing yesterday on
a 12-6 vote two short of passage in the
Governmental Organization Committee. ID#
6564
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"Bill aims to
squeeze taxes out of Internet cigarette sales" (Michael
Gardner, The San Diego Union Tribune, Apr
23, 2003) -- With
California desperate for every dollar, Sen. Debra Bowen
is threatening to punish online and mail-order cigarette
retailers who refuse to aid state tax collectors. The
Redondo Beach Democrat on Wednesday unveiled legislation
that would give the state unilateral power to fine
retailers for failing to report online or mail-order
sales. "Cigarette retailers are making a fortune by
thumbing their noses at the federal law and misleading
California buyers into thinking they can duck nearly $9
in state tobacco taxes on every carton they order,"
Bowen said. The state lost an estimated $54 million in
unpaid cigarette taxes in 2001-2002, according to Dennis
Maciel of the Board of Equalization. ID# 6552
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"Vista toughens smoking ban near playgrounds" (Matthew
T. Hall, The
San Diego Union Tribune, Apr 23, 2003) --
The City Council acted
unanimously and without a word yesterday to tighten a
ban on smoking near children's play areas at 10 public
parks. Afterward, smoke-free supporters more than made
up for the council's lack of commentary. "We hope
(this law) will be in every city," said John Byrom,
a spokesman with the Tri-City Prevention Collaborative.
"The kids are playing. There shouldn't be people
smoking around them." The ordinance makes it
illegal to smoke or use tobacco within 50 feet of tot
lots, or sand-filled play areas meant for young
children. ID# 6524
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"City OKs tentative
bill to punish adults where underage drinking allowed" (The
San Diego Union Tribune, Apr 22, 2003) --The
San Diego City Council today tentatively approved an
ordinance to punish adults who host parties where minors
can imbibe. The council approved the first reading on an
8-0 vote. A second reading is required before it becomes
law. "It closes the gaps," said Deputy City
Attorney Simon Silva. No other laws prohibit adults from
having parties where minors can drink, or prevent the
minors from consuming alcohol in homes and other
non-public places, Silva said. The ordinance will make
those activities misdemeanors punishable by up to six
months in jail and a $1,000 fine. ID# 6515
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"San Diego amends
billboard controls" (The San Diego Union
Tribune, Apr 22, 2003) --
An ordinance banning
alcohol advertisements on billboards near schools and
other areas frequented by children was amended by the
San Diego City Council yesterday to comply with a
settlement reached with billboard owners. The settlement
removes arcades from the covered sites. It also requires
that the face of a billboard be clearly visible from
children's areas before it is subject to the ban. ID#
6516
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"Underage drinking
can be reduced by Assembly Bill 216" (Bill
Luecke, The
Daily Aztec, Apr 22, 2003) --
The alcohol industry makes
at least 12 perc | | |
