Alliance members advocate passage of Alcohol-Related Services Act

The following was released today by the Marin Institute:

What: Rallies -- District Visits

Where & When:

Assembly Member Hector de La Torre

Date: March 16

Rally time: 11 a.m.

Legislative visit time: 11:30 a.m.

Location: 8724 Garfield Avenue, Suite 104, South Gate, CA 90280

Assembly Member Ed Hernandez

Date: March 16

Rally time: 1:45 p.m.

Legislative visit time: 2:15 p.m.

Location: 1520 W. Cameron Ave., Suite 165, West Covina, CA 91790

Who:

• A.W.A.R.E. Coalition
• Asian American Drug Abuse Program (AADAP)
• California Alliance for Retired Americans (CARA)
• Drug Policy Alliance
• The ARC
• Marin Institute

Why: To advocate for the passage of AB 1694, the Alcohol-Related Services Act -- Authored by Assembly Member Jim Beall (D-San Jose), the measure creates the Alcohol-Related Services Program. The program will be funded by a $700+ million annual mitigation fee on Big Alcohol to help cover California's annual alcohol-related trauma care, hospitalization, treatment, prevention, and criminal justice costs. The bill will be voted on in the Assembly Health Committee on March 23, 2010.

To help legislators understand the astronomical annual $38.4 billion dollar cost of alcohol-related harm in California, and the effects on a chronically under-funded health care system and the residents of the state.

To elevate visibility of the Charge for Harm Alliance -- a diverse, statewide network of concerned individuals, treatment and prevention service providers, cities, counties, public health departments, enforcement, labor, youth and faith-based groups determined to pass a fair and meaningful alcohol-harm mitigation fee in California.  Other Alliance members and AB 1694 supporters will be visiting Assembly Health Committee members at the Capitol in Sacramento at the same time.