Advocates Rally in San Francisco to Support a Charge for Harm Alcohol Mitigation Fee

What:

News Conference and Rally

When:

August 4, 2010   10:00 a.m.

Where:

California State Capitol Building, East Side (Facing 12th and Capitol Ave.)

Who:

Partial list of invited participants…

• John Avalos, Supervisor, City and County of San Francisco

• Sophie Maxwell, Supervisor, City and County of San Francisco

• Ross Mirkarimi, Supervisor, City and County of San Francisco

• Reverend Norman Fong, Program Director, Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC)

• Tom O'Connor, President, San Francisco Firefighters Local 798

• Mitch Katz, M.D., Director of San Francisco Department of Public Health

• Larry Bevan, President, SEIU 1021

• Michael Rokeach, M.D., President, San Francisco Medical Society

• Dr. Mimi Silbert, President & CEO, Delancey Street

• Richard Jimenez, M.A., Vice President, Development, Walden House

• Jim Illig, President, San Francisco Health Commission

• Hene Kelly, Legislative Director, California Alliance for Retired Americans (CARA)

• Michele Simon, Research & Policy Director, Marin Institute

• Deborah Camarillo, Executive Director, Latino Commission

• Laura Thomas, Deputy State Director, Drug Policy Alliance

• Jimmy Loyce, Executive Director, Black Coalition on Aids

• Arthur Bosse, Executive Director, National Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Addictions (NCADA)

• Matt Rosen, Youth Leadership Institute (YLI)

Why:

To advocate for the passage of California's first Charge for Harm local ordinance to assess alcohol wholesalers, distributors and others for a portion of San Francisco's alcohol-related harm. Introduced by Supervisor John Avalos and cosponsored by Supervisors Sophie Maxwell and Russ Mirkarimi, the measure is supported by a San Francisco Controller's "nexus" study that detailed over $17 million in costs to city funded services like treatment, prevention, medical transport and hospitalization for alcohol related illness. The fee ordinance will be discussed in a SF Board of Supervisors Finance Committee hearing at 11 a.m. in the Board's main chambers.

To help the public understand the astronomical annual cost of alcohol-related harm in San Francisco, and the effects on a chronically under-funded health care system.

To elevate visibility of the Charge for Harm movement – a rapidly growing, diverse, statewide constituency of concerned individuals, treatment and prevention service providers, cities, counties, public health officials, enforcement, labor, community, youth and faith-based groups determined to pass fair and meaningful alcohol-harm mitigation fees in California.

ChargeForHarm.org

Contact:

Michael Scippa 415/548-0492

Jorge Castillo 213/840-3336