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"The problem with
NIMBY" (Kelly Davis, The San
Diego City Beat, Mar 26, 2003) -- A study
released earlier this month by the Little Hoover
Commission, an independent state advisory committee
charged with examining California's public health and
welfare systems points a finger at San Diego County in a
brief, yet eyegrabbing sidebar embedded within the
80page report. The study, which examines the efficacy of
the state's substance abuse treatment programs, targets
San Diego County for making it tough to provide
muchneeded services to the area's share of the 2.3
million Californians addicted to drugs or alcohol.— ID#
6451
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"Holding adults responsible
for teen drinking" (Brian
Maienschein, The Rancho Bernardo
Journal, Mar 27, 2003) -- Vandalism,
violence, teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases,
and drunk driving all too often share a common cause
underage drinking. On March 5, I proposed an ordinance
to the City Council's Public Safety and Neighborhood
Services Committee aimed at holding adults responsible
for underage drinking parties in their homes. Usually,
when police break up a party where minors are drinking,
the person who hosts the party is not held responsible.
This proposed ordinance would make such people
accountable.— ID# 6450
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"Ecstasy - More teens trying this
"club drug" unaware of dangers" (Kenneth
Ma, The North County Times, Mar
30, 2003) -- John
reached a defining moment in his young life inside a
warehouse filled with flashing lights, techno music and
partygoers he didn't know. Earlier that evening, the
North County teen had swallowed an Ecstasy tablet when
he attended a Los Angeles rave, or all-night dance
party...In 2000, sheriff's deputies arrested 19 people
and closed Club Velvet at the Del Mar Fairgrounds after
the club and its patrons were accused of dealing and
using Ecstasy. In 2001, nearly 1,000 Ecstasy pills were
seized from a car stopped at the U.S. Border Patrol
checkpoint near the San Diego and Riverside county
line...Officials are also trying to crack down on
Ecstasy by strengthening the law. Assemblywoman Pat
Bates, R-Oceanside, introduced AB 57 to ban the drug's
use by changing its legal classification. The bill
cleared the Assembly Public Safety Committee 7-0 last
month, but could encounter opposition when it reaches
the Senate Public Safety Committee.— ID# 6422
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"City wants a break in pipe
sales" (Michelle Gerst, The
Coast News, Mar 26, 2003) --
The Oceanside Planning
Commission wants to crack down on stores that sell drug
paraphernalia. Board members passed a proposal that will
go before City Council limiting the operations of such
businesses. The proposal seeks an amendment to restrict
where and how the shops operate. The restrictions would
be comparable to those of an adult business such as a
liquor store or an adult bookstore. "Right now
there are no restrictions in Oceanside on the selling of
drug paraphernalia," said Commissioner Robert
Schaffer.— ID#
6420
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"Aheadhunting he will go" (John
R. Lamb, The City Beat, Mar 5, 2003) --
Tucked in the back of a
nondescript industrial park named for faultlined Rose
Canyon sits a small company that is in a world of
trouble with U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, the
guy who lost a U.S. Senate race to a dead man. The Zong
Toy Company, which manufactures a variety of water pipes
and other products that Ashcroft has labeled drug
paraphernalia, is one of a number of companies
nationwide that are in the rifle scope of Ashcroft and
his band of lifestyle police, who seem intent on
bringing down the paraphernalia industry.— ID#
6421
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"'Tis the season for underage
drinking" (Rick
Emerson, The San Diego Union Tribune, Mar
28, 2003) -- In
spite of increasing demands on law enforcement agencies
to ensure homeland security, more common problems that
threaten public health and safety continue to need our
attention. Over a dozen law enforcement agencies
represented by the San Diego County Police Chiefs and
Sheriff's Association continue to address the biggest
threat to the health and safety of teens and young
adults underage drinking. Between mid-March and
mid-April, high school and college students throughout
the county are on spring break.— ID#
6415
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"Oceanside school board backs head
shop regs" (Kate
McCann, The North County Times, Mar 26, 2003) --
The Oceanside school board
on Tuesday threw its support behind a proposed city
ordinance that would restrict businesses that sell drug
paraphernalia and drug-related products. Voting 5-0,
Oceanside Unified School District trustees approved a
resolution urging the Oceanside City Council to adopt
the ordinance that would classify such stores as adult
businesses and forbid them to operate within 500 feet of
any school. "It is incredible that this hasn't been
addressed before," said board President Janet
Bledsoe Lacy.— ID#
6408
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"Spring break is no party for
officials who have to get Americans out of trouble" (Will
Weissert, The San Diego Union Tribune, Mar
21, 2003) --
Too drunk to put on his
sandals, Keith Lancaster stood shirtless and barefoot
before the tourist judge and pleaded his innocence.
"I was defending myself," stammered the
19-year-old University of Connecticut sophomore, who was
arrested for fighting outside a discotheque overflowing
with spring breakers. Every year, tens of thousands of
American spring breakers descend on Cancun, where the
sun is hot and the drinking age of 18 is almost never
enforced. But while college students dive headlong into
a week of nonstop partying, things are not so fun for
U.S. officials whose job it is to come to their aid when
they get in trouble.— ID#
6405
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"Kegs at beaches face potential July
4 ban" (Angela Lau, The
The San Diego Union Tribune, Mar 23, 2003) --
Kegs could be banned from
San Diego beaches on July Fourth to minimize drunken
rowdiness. Councilman Michael Zucchet, whose district
includes Mission Beach and Pacific Beach, will introduce
a proposed ordinance in April to ban keg beer on city
beaches on Independence Day. He is responding to
complaints from Sail Bay residents in Mission Beach who
said Sail Bay was packed with keg parties organized by
bars and corporations last year. "We are working
with the city attorney to draft something that is
enforceable," Zucchet said. "A clean ban on
kegs on July Fourth makes sense and is enforceable. I
think we could get it passed."— ID#
6397
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"Deputies crack down on ephedrine
sales" (Kenneth Ma, The North County Times,
Feb 25, 2003) -- Seven
businesses were caught selling too much ephedrine Monday
during a Sheriff's Department operation to enforce a law
limiting the sale of the stimulant, which is used to
produce methamphetamine. It was the third such operation
conducted by community-policing deputies since a state
law to curb products containing ephedrine or
pseudoephedrine was implemented in January 2000,
sheriff's Deputy Todd Norton said. The current operation
will target 41 businesses through Wednesday. Ephedrine
is the only methamphetamine ingredient that can't be
substituted, Norton said. It can be found in cold
medicine and nasal decongestion products. Merchants are
only allowed to sell 9 grams or no more than three
packages of products containing the stimulant per
customer per day. The products can only be sold to those
ages 18 or older.— ID#
6389
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"Meth deaths edge up, but not as
high as earlier years" (Luis
Monteagudo, The San Diego Union Tribune,
Jan 19, 2003) -- The
number of methamphetamine-related deaths in San Diego
County rose slightly in 2001 over the previous year, and
it was the second consecutive year that such deaths
increased, a report released last week shows. In 2001,
methamphetamine-related deaths increased to 145 nine
more than in 2000. And the 2000 figure of 136 deaths
compares with the 1999 figure of 108. Still, the 2001
death figures are not as high as other years. County
officials have been tracking the meth data since 1995,
and they recorded a high of 156 deaths in 1997.— ID#
6390
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"Treatment centers improve
communities" (Paul Savo and
Jessica Van Arsdale, The North County Times, Mar
17, 2003) -- In
his State of the Union address, President George W. Bush
acknowledged America's demand for substance-abuse
treatment when he called for $600 million in new federal
aid for alcohol and drug programs. The need is dire in
San Diego County, where 15,000 people took part in
residential programs in the past two years while an
estimated 45,000 others were placed on waiting lists.
Money is not our main obstacle to treatment access
locally. Perhaps the biggest challenge is the lack of a
local planning process to distribute programs equitably
in communities.— ID#
6386
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"Temecula may narrow alcohol
permit list" (Teri
Figueroa, The North County Times, Mar 15, 2003) --
City planning commissioners will take
their first look next week at a proposal that would
narrow the types of businesses the city regulates that
sell alcohol. Under the proposal, which the commission
will see Wednesday, only bars, liquor stores,
convenience stores and service stations would be
required to get the city OK, which is known as a
conditional-use permit. Grocery
stores, department stores, specialty and discount
stores, wine-tastings and restaurants with a full bar
would no longer have to meet the city's permit
requirements, which include such restrictions as staying
at least 500 feet from churches. — ID#
6384
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"City
council to vote on application" (Monica
Getz, The North County Times, Mar
6, 2003) -- The
City Council on Tuesday will vote on whether to apply
for a grant to help crack down on alcohol sales to
minors. The $24,000 grant from the California Department
of Alcoholic Beverage Control would help pay for
overtime of deputies working to reduce alcohol sales and
consumption violations. Capt. Earl Wentworth with the
Vista Sheriff's Substation said the department has run
sting and decoy operations to try to catch those who
help people under 21 buy or sell them alcohol, but the
department has never had grant money to help pay for the
overtime it takes to run various programs. — ID#
6369
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"San
Diego targets adults who let minors drink" (Ray
Huard, The San Diego Union Tribune, Mar
6, 2003) --
Parents and other adults
who allow parties where minors drink alcoholic beverages
could be jailed or fined under a proposed law backed by
a San Diego City Council committee yesterday. "If
you are providing the setting where alcohol is being
consumed by minors, you will be busted, that is the
simple and plain message of it," said Executive
Assistant City Attorney Leslie Devaney. The proposed
House Party Ordinance also would enforce the law against
people under the age of 18 drinking in public. Minors
would be prohibited from drinking in private homes
except under the supervision of their parents or
guardians.. — ID#
6356
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"Proposed
bill to repeal FAFSA drug question" (Abra
DeGeare, The Daily
Aztec, Mar 3, 2003) --
What does smoking
marijuana, snorting cocaine or popping ecstasy have to
do with free money? A lot - especially if you're a
student who uses financial aid to pay for college.
Students who have been convicted of buying, selling or
possessing an illegal substance may not receive
financial aid from the government. There has been much
controversy surrounding the law passed by Congress in
1998. Since its initiation, more than 45,000 students
across the nation have lost their federal aid. In the
San Diego State 2001-02 academic year, 19,600 students
applied for financial aid and were admitted to the
university. Out of those students, 41 had a hold related
to a drug conviction.— ID# 6336
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"International
tobacco accord advances over U.S. objections" (Clare
Nullis, The San Diego Union
Tribune, Mar 2, 2003) --
An international treaty
aimed at curbing the spread of tobacco use may lose U.S.
support over Bush administration concerns that the
agreement does not allow individual nations the right to
opt out of individual clauses. Over the U.S. objections,
more than 170 nations agreed yesterday on a text for a
tobacco treaty that would impose worldwide restrictions
on advertising and labeling while clamping down on
smuggling and second-hand smoke. The draft accord, four
years in the making, will go to the World Health
Assembly in May for adoption. Germany and China joined
the United States in expressing reservations.— ID#
6335
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"Alcohol
ads touting health benefits must also warn of risks,
government says" (Jeannine
Aversa, The San Diego
Union Tribune, Feb 27, 2003) -- Companies
that want to advertise a health benefit associated with
drinking beer, wine or liquor would also have to warn
about alcohol's health risks under rules announced
Friday. The Treasury Department's Alcohol and Tobacco
Tax and Trade Bureau, which announced the regulations,
said it was trying to balance free-speech rights with
risks posed by excessive drinking. The new rules take
effect in 90 days. Long-standing regulations already
prohibit false or misleading claims regarding the
"curative or therapeutic effects" of an
alcoholic beverage in an advertisement or on a label.
Treasury and industry officials believe that few – if
any – health claims are currently being made in
advertisements or on labels for alcohol products.— ID#
6334
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"Head
shops on thin ice" (John
Flink, The North County Times, Feb
25, 2003) --
Members of the Oceanside
Planning Commission unanimously approved a proposal
Monday night to recommend regulating businesses that
sell drug paraphernalia. If approved by the City
Council, the resulting amendment to the zoning ordinance
would allow the city to determine where such businesses
can and can't operate. Commissioners went a step further
than the draft amendment prepared by city staff, adding
a recommendation that the City Council pass an ordinance
prohibiting minors from entering shops that sell
paraphernalia. State law requires only that minors not
be allowed into rooms or other parts of a store in which
drug paraphernalia is displayed for sale. "It's
illegal to consume drugs, but it's not illegal to sell
drug paraphernalia," explained Gerald Gilbert,
Oceanside's planning director. "That seems to be
the Catch-22. But we can regulate these uses." — ID#
6324
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"A
rose ---- the "Good Business" award" (The
North County Times, Feb 24, 2003) --
To the city of Poway, where
sheriff's deputies have begun the first city ordinance
in San Diego County that requires bars and restaurants
with bars to ensure that all employees who can sell
alcohol get training in the problems that can be
associated with it. Enforcement of Poway's Responsible
Beverage Service Training Ordinance began on Jan. 31.— ID#
6321
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"U.S.
accuses 55 of peddling illegal drug paraphernalia on
Internet" (Curt
Anderson, The San
Diego Union Tribune, Feb 24, 2003) --
Federal authorities charged
55 people with trafficking in illegal drug paraphernalia
in an investigation they said targeted the nation's
biggest Internet distributors of marijuana bongs, crack
pipes and other drug abuse gear. In coordinated raids on
Monday, officials confiscated "thousands and
thousands of tons" of paraphernalia from companies
boasting up to $50 million in annual sales, said Mary
Beth Buchanan, U.S. attorney in Pittsburgh whose office
is leading the "Operation Pipe Dreams"
investigation along with the Drug Enforcement
Administration. * Southern Californians among those
charged in nationwide crackdown on 'head shops' — ID#
6320
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"Steroid
traffic flows on Internet" (David
Hasemyer, The San Diego Union Tribune, Feb
24, 2003) --
Squirreled away in an old
Mercury driven across the border was a cache of illegal
steroids destined for points throughout the country. But
the driver, Justin Miller, didn't make it. U.S. Customs
Service agents found the stash – $25,000 worth of the
muscle-building drugs, according to a summary of
Miller's arrest filed in federal court. The April 2000
border bust led customs agents to search Miller's Linda
Vista apartment, where they reported discovering an
elaborate network of computers.— ID# 6319
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"Repeat
DUIs could lose cars" (Wyatt
Haupt, The North County Times, Feb
22, 2003) --
Southwest County
Assemblyman Russ Bogh introduced legislation this week
that calls for the seizure of vehicles belonging to
repeat drunken drivers. Assembly Bill 657 would make it
mandatory for a court to seize and sell a person's car
upon their third conviction for driving under the
influence of alcohol within a seven-year period. The
proposed law would apply to any combination of either
gross vehicular manslaughter or vehicular manslaughter
and driving under the influence convictions.
"Current law does not go far enough in protecting
the citizens of this state from those who repeatedly
choose to drink and drive," Bogh said.
"Hopefully, people will make a different choice
once they realize they could permanently lose their
vehicle."— ID# 6316
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"'Beer
runs' a teen rite that can turn deadly" (Gregory
Alan Gross and Irene McCormack Jackson, The San Diego
Union Tribune, Feb 21, 2003) --
Youths call them "beer
runs," raids on corner stores and supermarkets to
swiftly steal six-packs and cases of alcoholic brew.
They have been the bane of store owners and managers for
so long that many have quietly resigned themselves to
the thefts, seeing the runs as a sort of delinquent rite
of passage. Sometimes, though, the passage leads to
tragedy, as it did Sunday in Santee. There, an off-duty
police officer outside a Vons supermarket shot and
killed a teen-ager during a confrontation as the teen
and three friends tried to drive off with a carload of
stolen beer and liquor. "I don't know where to
start with this," said Steve Ernst, who runs the
state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control's San
Diego office. "It is a problem, definitely. How big
is it? There's nobody keeping statistics on something
like that.— ID# 6314
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"With
Davis, it's politics as usual" (Dick
Wackeham, The North County Times, Feb 13, 2003) --
Our governor is right back
on track with his tax proposals. No increase in license
fees ‹ must affect too many voters. No tippler's tax
proposed on alcohol ‹ must affect too many voters. Of
course, we are looking at a tobacco tax being
politically correct. The governor said this will raise
revenue and aid in reducing smoking. It doesn't seem to
make much sense actually whether you smoke or not. If
people quit or reduce smoking there will be no tax
revenue.— ID# 6313
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"Smoke
'em out" (Esteban Alvarado, Star News, Jan.
31, 2003) --
The National City City
Council has recently passed a new ordinance, with the
advocacy of the National City ATOD Prevention Task Force
and Por la Vida. The new ordinance affects all incoming
stores that "dedicate 40 percent or more to the
display and sale of tobacco and/or paraphernalia".
The stores that do fall under the above description will
now be referred to as "tobacco specialty
shops." These tobacco specialty shops will have a
distance requirement and it will begin with 1,000 feet
from any school, playground, recreation center or
facility, childcare center, or library in the City of
National City.— ID# 6298
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"Crash
victim's parents seek changes in alcohol laws" (Jo
Moreland, The North County Times, Feb
7, 2003) --
Lisa Marie Stoefen was a
recovering alcoholic who thought she could become a
casual drinker. Put to the test, the 21-year-old Rancho
Bernardo woman's theory ended in twisted metal and
smoking, shattered debris early Jan. 3. Her speeding car
slammed into a retaining wall on Poblado Road after she
had been drinking. Gary Stoefen looks at a photo album
of his daughter Lisa Marie, who died about a month ago
when her car crashed after she had been drinking.
Stoefen and his wife Judy want to tell others about her
struggle with alcoholism in the hope of saving someone
else. A few hours later Gary and Judy Stoefen were told
that their daughter would never come home again.— ID#
6293
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"Beach
neighborhoods have too many alcohol licenses" (June
Claypool, The San
Diego Union Tribune, Feb 6, 2003) --
Stephen Zolezzi's call to
reduce regulations that govern the sales and service of
alcoholic beverages is just another example of the
alcohol industry attempting to influence public policy
in a way that lines the pockets of retailers while
putting communities at risk. The Pacific and Mission
Beach areas boasts one of the highest crime rates in the
city of San Diego, a far cry from the "heaven"
depicted on a local billboard that describes the 44 bars
in 8 city blocks.— ID#
6285
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"A
medicinal marijuana vote but debate continues" (The San
Diego Union Tribune, Feb 7, 2003) --
Congratulations to San
Diego City Council member Toni Atkins and the five
council members who supported her. It's about time the
City Council acted compassionately. Isn't it ironic that
Mayor Dick Murphy repeatedly touted that "we have
to build the ballpark because the voters approved
it" but conveniently chose to forget that the
voters also approved the use of marijuana for medical
purposes...I would like to know why cancer patients need
to grow marijuana in their homes and yards when they can
legally buy the main ingredient for marijuana from their
pharmacist with a doctor's prescription already. It is
dispensed in pill form and called Marinol.— ID#
6284
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"Program
provides safe rides home for intoxicated patrons" (Abra
DeGeare, The Daily Aztec, Feb
6, 2003) --
You've been at Moondoggies
since 5 p.m. and realize 10 drinks later you need to get
home. The dilemma -- how to get there. Taking a taxi is
expensive, your friends can't drive and you shouldn't.
If you do get in the car, you may become a statistic. An
estimated 513,000 people are injured in alcohol-related
crashes each year. That is an average of 59 people per
hour or approximately one person every minute, according
to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in
their 2002 survey. Now, there is an organization in San
Diego with the goal to decrease those statistics.— ID#
6283
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"Council OKs storing 1 pound of
marijuana for medical use" (Ray
Huard, The
San Diego Union Tribune, Feb 5, 2003) --
Sick people with
their doctor's approval can keep as much as 1 pound of
marijuana to ease their symptoms under guidelines
adopted last night by the San Diego City Council.
The guidelines were approved by a 6-3
vote over the objections of Mayor Dick Murphy and Police
Chief David Bejarano after a seven-hour public hearing.
More than 50 people testified on the recommendations
from the Medical Cannabis Task Force. What
the council adopted was more stringent than what the
task force wanted and represented what Councilman
Michael Zucchet said was a compromise between showing
compassion for the sick and respect for the needs of
police.— ID#
6279
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"Guidelines would prompt large
marijuana plots" (The
San Diego Union Tribune, Feb 4, 2003) --
An online check reveals
that most California counties allow two, three or maybe
10 pot plants for medicinal use. But today, the San
Diego City Council is scheduled to consider a plan
allowing a person to grow 20 outdoor plants and have
three pounds of dried weed for his own use. Years ago,
when some of my friends were regular marijuana smokers,
finding pot was sometimes difficult. When someone in our
neighborhood planted marijuana, the crop was often
"diverted" by other pot smokers, who thought
nothing of going over a fence or breaking into a home to
get what they wanted. Having a single marijuana plant
was like posting a sign "Break-ins Welcome
Here!"— ID# 6278
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"Parents take anti-alcohol pledge" (Alex
Lyda, The San Diego Union Tribune, Feb.
1, 2003) --
Drinking at house parties
should be more difficult for some students in the
Mountain Empire Unified School District after a group of
parents vowed to ban alcohol from youth festivities held
in their homes. So far this school year, 24 households
have signed the "Parents Who Host Lose The
Most" pledge, in which the adults agree to
chaperone all home events and guarantee they are free of
alcohol or drugs. "With the parents' support, we
are one step closer to creating an environment where
underage drinking is neither accepted nor
encouraged," said Shannon Reed, a member of the
Mountain Empire Collaborative.— ID# 6272
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"Re 'Super Bowl Edition Public
Eye,'" (Dr. Kimberly
Vanover, The San Diego Union Tribune, Feb.
1, 2003) -- I am
very disappointed in the Union-Tribune's family section
front page from Jan. 25. The top article pointed out the
mixed messages that kids receive from their families and
schools telling them not to drink alcohol and the
television media showing attractive beer commercials. I
think it is great that you've brought attention to this
matter so that the television media may become more
responsible in its messages that our kids and teens
receive, however, I think you ought to pay attention to
the mixed messages you are sending as well!— ID#
6271
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"Hysteria clouds city marijuana issue" (Jerry
Meier, The San Diego Union Tribune, Jan.
31, 2003) --
Over 200 years ago,
Constitution framer James Madison wrote, "It is of
great importance in a republic not only to guard the
society against the oppression of its rulers, but to
guard one part of the society against the injustice of
the other part." Madison's statement aptly frames
the current discussion regarding the compassionate use
of marijuana for medical purposes. As the City Council
nears a vote on the guidelines for possession of medical
marijuana it is time to shed some light on the
overzealous hysteria that has slanted what ought to be a
simple issue.— ID# 6270
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"Bill Would Ban Smoking In Car With
Kids" (The San Diego
Channel - KGTV 10, Jan. 31, 2003) --
Smoking in a
car carrying a child would be illegal under a bill
proposed Thursday in the Georgia House of
Representatives. Democrat Paul Smith proposed the bill
to make it a misdemeanor to smoke in a vehicle where a
child is restrained in a car seat. The misdemeanor would
carry a fine and include cigars, cigarettes and pipes.— ID#
6268
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"Nightclub owners denied permit" (Wyatt
Haupt, The North County Times, Jan.
30, 2003) --
The Edge nightclub in Old
Town Temecula was effectively shuttered Wednesday when
the Planning Commission refused to issue a permit that
would have allowed the establishment to stay open and
sell alcoholic drinks. However, owners of the venue
vowed to press on with their long-running battle against
the city, saying that they would appeal the decision to
the appropriate governing bodies. "We will appeal
this to the City Council," said Alison Hannah,
co-owner of the three-year-old venue with husband, Ron,
shortly after the commission made its decision. The
Hannahs have 15 days to ask the City Council, which has
the ultimate say on such issues, to review the decision
which it can overturn.— ID# 6267
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"Shame on beer industry for targeting minors" (Mark
Jackson, The San Diego Union Tribune, Jan.
30, 2003) --
I think it's irresponsible
for the alcohol industry to advertise its products
(especially beer) as harmless as soda or any other
drink. The commercials never show the day after – the
fights, the rapes, the assaults or anything else that
potentially goes along with a night of drinking. It's
also irresponsible for the Federal Trade Commission to
allow ads to be shown during times in which there is a
large audience of underage young people.— ID# 6266
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"Keeping downtown Super Bowl festivities fun and
safe" (Dan Tomsky, Downtown News, Jan.
23, 2003) --
As we welcome the Super
Bowl teams and visitors to San Diego, it is indeed an
exciting time for our community. This is a time to feel
good and proud about how redevelopment is transforming
our downtown into a vibrant and fun environment for
living, work and play. As the Gaslamp Quarter anchors
the "Super Hub" of festivities this weekend,
indeed, downtown streets are going to be "a
critical mass of activity," as deputy city manager
Bruce Herring has said. Undoubtedly, the volume of
people expected to be enjoying the large array of
festivities and Super Bowl revelry pose a heightened
challenge for the hospitality industry, law enforcement
and city officials.— ID#
6264
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"Council to consider liquor license
request and aid to homeless group" (Monica
Getz, The North County Times, Jan. 28, 2003) --
City Council members today will consider endorsing a
liquor license for a restaurant in a high-crime
neighborhood, and a homeless organization's request for
financial help. Both the restaurant and the nonprofit
homeless assistance group say their futures hinge on the
council's decisions. The council meeting starts at 2
p.m. at City Hall. The liquor license is for a
restaurant whose owner says he is just trying to make a
living, while city staffers who oppose the license
request say they are just trying to keep residents safe.— ID#
6262
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"Beer marketers reach new lows in
advertising" (The
San Diego Union Tribune, Jan. 27, 2003) --
It is truly amazing (and disgusting) what the alcohol
industry is able to get away with. I recently wrote a
letter to Coors about the "Party All Night"
advertising blitz it is conducting which makes a point
of depicting just how much fun all-night binge drinking
is for kids... Where is the regulation of alcohol
advertising? I wonder if the vast amounts of money the
alcohol industry contributes to political campaigns has
something to do with it? Alcohol industry contributions
to PACs alone amounted to nearly $23 million between
1989-99. I, for one, am looking forward to the day when
the Budweiser frogs will rest in peace right alongside
that public health travesty with the cartoon face, Mr.
Joe Camel.— ID# 6258
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"Marijuana madness" (The
San Diego Union Tribune, Jan. 27, 2003) --
San Diego City Council members face a choice on whom
they want to listen to about medical marijuana. Will
they listen to the city's Medical Marijuana/Cannabis
task force or will they listen to UCSD's Center for
Medicinal Cannabis Research? The Center for Medicinal
Cannabis Research is a consortium of respected medical
researchers from UC campuses in San Francisco, San Diego
and Davis. These researchers will be conducting more
than a dozen scientific research projects on the
possible use of marijuana for pain, HIV, AIDS symptoms
and other health problems. They also will study specific
medical protocols for marijuana's possible use, balanced
against the safety and health issues of the drug.— ID#
6257
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"Report shows drinking ads have
teens under the influence" (The
San Diego Union Tribune, Jan. 25, 2003) --
The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth says
teen-agers and younger children who are exposed to ads
that make drinking seem like so much fun, with no input
by parents to balance that message, run the risk of
becoming part of these statistics included in the
center's recently released report Underage drinking in
the United States is marked by abuse. For
15-to-17-year-olds, 25 percent report being current
drinkers, and 65 percent of those current drinkers
report having had five or more drinks on at least one
occasion (considered to be binge drinking).— ID#
6256
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"Tapping into young minds" (Jane
Clifford, The San Diego Union Tribune, Jan.
25, 2003) -- As families gather to watch the Super
Bowl tomorrow, the amount of beer served by advertisers
during the big game could leave young football fans
drunk on double messages. "Teachers and parents and
other adults tell us not to drink," says Suzy
Shimasaki, 17, a University City High School senior.
"But we're bombarded with beer commercials every
time we turn on the TV." There were 66,925 alcohol
ads on San Diego television in 2001, according to
Georgetown University's Center on Alcohol Marketing and
Youth, a public health group established to monitor and
analyze the industry's marketing and its impact on
youth. The group's research shows that more alcohol ads
were broadcast here than in New York, Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh, or Detroit. San Diego had the eighth highest
number of alcohol ads in a comparison of more than 90
media markets across the country.— ID# 6255
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"Kids are casualties in beer wars" (The
San Diego Union Tribune, Jan. 24, 2003) -- I'm watching the NFL playoffs with my
kindergarten-age son on a Sunday afternoon when on comes
a commercial with two surgically enhanced models sitting
at an outdoor cafe. They get into an argument that
escalates into a catfight, then they tumble into a
fountain and rip each other's clothes off. It ends with
the two clad in wet bras and panties mud wrestling and
making sex noises. "What are
those ladies doing?" my son asks. Better
question What are the beer companies doing? There's
a war going on between the three major breweries, and
the battlefield is our television sets. Anheuser-Busch,
Miller and Coors, along with a few smaller domestics and
imports, spend about $700 million on TV and radio
advertising each year. Anheuser-Busch has always been
the behemoth, but in recent years, its market has been
growing even larger, closing in on 50 percent of U.S.
sales. Meanwhile, Miller has 19 percent and Coors has 11
percent, but their market shares are dropping.— ID#
6254
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"CSU grant to combat campus alcohol
abuse" (Abra DeGeare,
The Daily Aztec Jan. 22, 2003) --
Monday night 25-cent beers
at Kahuna's, $2 "you call its" Thursdays at
Moondoggies and $2.50 Corona and Pacifico Tuesdays at
RT's Longboard Grill. With all these drink specials,
it's no wonder college students drink -- and drink
regularly. The 2000 Core Alcohol and Drug Survey stated
that a college student consumes an average of 5.85
drinks per week. "University officials in
California and across the nation have come to recognize
the negative impact alcohol can have on students trying
to learn," Business, Housing and Transportation
Secretary Maria Contreras-Sweet said in a press release.
"Not only does the abuse of alcohol inhibit the
learning process, it can create dangerous and sometimes
deadly situations."— ID# 6250
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"Testimony begins in Louisiana trial
seeking to make tobacco industry pay to help smokers
quit" (Alan Sayre,
The San Diego Union Tribune, Jan.
20, 2003) -- After
months of delays caused by appeals, a hurricane and the
lack of a courtroom, opening arguments are scheduled
Tuesday in a class-action lawsuit aimed at making the
tobacco industry help Louisiana smokers kick the habit.
The lawsuit, filed in 1996, seeks funding for smoking
cessation programs and medical monitoring for
still-healthy smokers. There has been no estimate of
what a loss would cost the tobacco industry. However, a
smaller class-action suit in West Virginia that sought
only medical monitoring carried a potential price tag of
hundreds of millions of dollars. The tobacco industry
won. Plaintiffs allege that cigarette-makers are liable
because the industry conspired to manipulate the
nicotine levels in their products to keep smokers hooked
– a contention the industry denies.— ID#
6249
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"Are Smoking Prevention Programs Working?" (MidCity
Neighbor, January, 2003) --
Apparently so, according to
the Child Health 2002 (and Monitoring the Future
Survey). The number of new smokers between the ages of
14 and 18 have significantly decreased over the past 5
years. As we try to identify (and debate) on what does
and doesn't work, we know one thing for sure
environmental prevention works. This is clearly evident
by the number (and nature) of policies and practices the
State of California and local communities have set into
place, such as smoking in public places, taxes on
tobacco products, restrictions on tobacco advertising.
etc.— ID# 6248
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"Alcohol surge, youth drinking fuel
Irish debate" (Michael
Roddy,
The San Diego Union Tribune, Jan. 14, 2003) -- Derek
swigged his fifth pint of beer at a Dublin pub and swore
he could handle 10 or 12. The scene would have been
typical of any Irish pub on a Saturday night, except
that Derek was 16 – two years under the legal drinking
age – and at least half the patrons looked to be in
his age group, or even younger. "The way I see it
is we have a few beers, you go home and everything's all
right, no trouble," Derek, who works as a weekend
chef for "pub money," said over blaring
karaoke music. Under-age drinkers armed with fake IDs
– and unscrupulous bar operators willing to turn a
blind eye, young adults with good jobs and no
obligations, plus a middle class far more affluent than
in the past, have fueled a debate about alcohol in
Ireland – a nation long enamored of its drink.— ID#
6237
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"Alcohol-related issues dominate
council discussion" (Monica Getz,
The North County Times, Jan. 15, 2003) --
In the aftermath of two local teenagers being
severely injured in a crash involving a suspected drunk
driver, City Council members paid close attention
Tuesday to alcohol-related issues. The council voted 5-0
to allow Chili's Grill and Bar, a future tenant of the
city's Vista Village redevelopment project, to sell
alcoholic beverages until midnight on Friday and
Saturday nights. However, they heeded concerns raised by
a representative of a group devoted to raising awareness
about alcohol, tobacco and other drug use by taking her
advice to look at another city's training program.— ID#
6236
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"A state's lockout of drunk drivers called a
success" (Patrick Walters, San Diego Union
Tribune, Jan. 12, 2003) --
Breath-alcohol detectors installed in
the cars of convicted drunken drivers prevented them
from driving under the influence more than 10,000 times
in the first year of Pennsylvania's Ignition Interlock
Law, according to a study. Drivers must pass a breath
test before the system will allow them to start their
vehicles, and they must periodically test themselves
throughout their drives. Their blood-alcohol level must
be below 0.025 percent – less than a third of the
legal limit – to keep the car running. — ID#
6230
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"Fed-up Mexican women banning booze" (Julie
Watson, San Diego Union
Tribune, Jan. 12, 2003) --
As the Corona beer truck with its
clinking bottles lumbered into this Indian village in
the mountains of central Mexico, angry women ran out of
their homes, shouting "Get out! Get out!"
The women, many carrying babies in
colorful shawls tied around their hips, forced the
driver back down the mountain before he could unload a
single bottle – much to the chagrin of their husbands.
Fed up with their men stumbling home
drunk or falling over in a stupor in their cornfields,
the women of this remote Indian village in San Luis
Potosi state took matters into their own hands, refusing
to allow any more alcohol to be sold in their community
of 250 people. — ID# 6229
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"Teen club promotes lifestyle free of alcohol and
drugs" (Kelly O'Connor, San Diego Union
Tribune, Jan. 10, 2003) -- Alia Khalil is a
high school student committed to staying alcohol-and
drug-free. She thinks many teen-agers fall victim to alcohol
and drugs abuse. "I think more so than people are willing
to believe," Alia said. This is one of the reasons she is
president of the Friday Night Live Club at Torrey Pines High
School. The club promotes healthy lifestyles free of alcohol,
tobacco and other substance abuse among youth. — ID#
2580
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"City
Council votes to extend needle exchange program"
(Ray Huard, San Diego
Union Tribune, Jan. 8, 2003) -- A
pilot needle exchange program meant to cut the
spread of hepatitis and other blood-borne diseases
has proven itself worth continuing for further
evaluation, a San Diego City Council majority said
yesterday. "It's worth
the try," Councilman Michael Zucchet said.
"So far, so good." Since
the program began in July, exchanging needles one
night a week from a camper parked on a downtown
side street, 18,500 dirty needles have been
collected, Zucchet said.
— ID# 6228
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"Water and alcohol bad mix for park, agencies
contend" (Leslie Wolf Branscomb, San Diego Union
Tribune, Jan. 4, 2003) -- Mar Chula Vista's
Soak City quietly obtained a liquor license late last
summer before closing for the season. There was no
public outcry, unlike years past when SeaWorld and
Legoland announced they would begin serving liquor.
There were no public hearings and no restrictions placed
on the liquor license, because no one objected. Now some
nonprofit social service providers are unhappy, despite
the water park's promise that it will place safety
first. — ID# 6226
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"Underage drinking an ongoing problem" (Erica
Leary , North County Times, Jan. 6, 2003) --
Super Bowl Sunday, hangover
Monday? Unless you're out on the football field, you
should be eating junk food and drinking beer, right?
Just like Halloween, St. Patrick's Day and Cinco de
Mayo, the alcohol industry has created another drinking
"holiday" with clever marketing. This causes
enough problems for adults of legal drinking age, such
as drinking and driving, fights and vandalism, but it
also contributes to the ongoing problem of underage
drinking. — ID# 6221
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"Pennsylvania town considers snuffing out teen
smoking" (Martha Raffaele , San Diego Union Tribune, Jan.
4, 2003) -- At 17 years old, Ben Harris estimates he
smokes a pack of cigarettes every two or three days.
Harris, who began smoking when he was 9, doubts he'll
quit anytime soon – not even if officials in this
borough of 2,000 near Reading enact a proposal to
prohibit anyone under 18 from smoking outdoors. . . .
The council was originally expected to vote Monday on
the proposed ordinance, which requires violators to pay
a $50 fine. But the council now has decided to hold off
on a decision while its attorney researches whether the
proposal conflicts with a state law that pre-empts local
anti-tobacco ordinances, Gartner said. — ID# 6222
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