SAN FRANCISCO, June 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Not surprisingly, San Francisco may soon consider an alcohol mitigation fee to fund essential health and criminal justice costs.

"The impact of alcohol consumption in San Francisco costs millions of dollars to the City and County," said Supervisor John Avalos, Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee of San Francisco. "San Francisco alone should no longer suffer the costs of unmitigated alcohol harm."

Marin Institute, the alcohol industry watchdog organization, has estimated over $8 billion annually in harm to the various governing agencies of California. "San Francisco's share alone is at least $175 million in unmitigated alcohol-related program costs," said Bruce Lee Livingston, Executive Director of Marin Institute.

Alcohol-related costs are incurred at the San Francisco General Hospital emergency room, in ambulance services, treatment, rehabilitation, and hospitalization for liver disease, cancer, and heart disease. Criminal justice costs from alcohol include police response to traffic accidents or domestic violence disputes, court adjudication and incarceration.

"San Francisco is the first county in California to propose a mitigation fee for alcohol harm," said Livingston. We commend Supervisor Avalos for his leadership. In these tough times other counties and cities may also want to use their police powers to keep their safety nets alive. It's time to charge the alcohol industry for harm and get tens of millions of dollars for related services," Livingston added.

The legislation Avalos is proposing creates a majority vote fee program, not a tax. Avalos' stated findings will show a nexus between health care, human services and public safety costs and the sales of alcohol by wholesalers in the county. Fees will be assessed on wholesalers at the first point of sale in the county.

Fee programs are part of a long-standing tradition in the California constitution of the police powers of the state, city and counties to protect health and safety. AB 1019, the Alcohol-Related Services Act, is a proposed similar approach at the state level.

"I am looking forward to productive meetings with the Office of the Mayor, HSA, DPH, SFPD and others to develop a fair San Francisco Alcohol Impact mitigation fee program," Avalos added.

Marin Institute is an alcohol industry watchdog based in San Rafael, CA. www.marininstitute.org.

SOURCE Marin Institute