media portfolio
DESCRIPTION
A sampling of my PR work for the Westside Impact Project – a county-funded effort to reduce alcohol-related problems in Santa Monica and Venice, CA.TRANSCRIPT
CONTENTSTABLE OF
MEDIA EVENT: ST. PATRICK’S CANVASSINGPAGE 2
PRESS RELEASE: ANNOUNCING THE W.I.P. PAGE 7
PRESS RELEASE: ALCOHOL AND CRIME IN VENICE PAGE 15
MEDIA EVENT: RECOGNITION & REMINDER DECOY OPERATIONPAGE 21
MEDIA EVENT: MAILINGS ANNOUNCING LAW ENFORCEMENT OPS PAGE 29
OPINION EDITORIALSPAGE 34
#ITSTOOEASY: A YOUTH-DRIVEN SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNPAGE 41
ST. PATRICK’S CANVASSINGMEDIA EVENT
MARCH 11, 2014
PAGE 2SARAH BLANCH MEDIA WORK
MEDIA ADVISORYPAGE 3
EVENT PICTURES/SUPPORTING MATERIALSPAGE 4
MEDIA COVERAGEPAGE 5
W E S TS I D E IM P A CT PR OJ E CT
DATE: March 11, 2014 MEDIA CONTACT: Sarah Blanch 310.215.9924 x133
MEDIA ADVISORY
“Help Stop Underage Drinking on St. Patrick’s Day” —
A Canvassing Party
Community group to distribute flyers in Santa Monica neighborhoods; remind adults of their responsibilities.
WHAT: Members of the Westside Impact Coalition in Santa Monica will take to the streets in anticipa-
tion of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, distributing door hangers to Santa Monica neighborhood
residents that remind adults throwing parties not to allow minors under 21 access to alcohol.
WHY: St. Patrick’s Day ranks as one of the deadliest holidays in terms of drunken driving deaths. The
National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that alcohol-impaired
crashes claimed a life every 53 minutes in 2011.On St Patrick's Day alone, more than a third of
fatalities from motor vehicle crashes -- 34 percent -- were connected to drunk driving, accord-
ing to NHTSA. The national average for alcohol impaired fatalities in 2011 was 31 percent.
House parties are consistently cited as the primary sources from which minors obtain alcohol,
according to national and local research.
The results are too often tragic. Research shows that underage drinking is associated with
increased risk of traffic crashes, illicit drug use, sexual assaults, alcohol poisoning and
other problem behaviors including violence and suicide.
WHO: The Westside Impact Coalition is a group of local parents, educators, health professionals,
business people and others advocating for effective solutions to reduce problems related to
alcohol in Santa Monica and Venice. For more information about the Westside Impact Coali-
tion, or to become involved, visit www.westsideimpactproject.org
WHEN: FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Please call in advance to arrange interviews or photos
as they will be canvassing the neighborhood.
WHERE: The Downtown and Sunset Park neighborhoods of Santa Monica.
PAGE 4
SARAH BLANCH MEDIA WORK
INTRODUCING THE W.I.P.PRESS RELEASE
MARCH 5, 2013
PAGE 7SARAH BLANCH MEDIA WORK
PRESS RELEASEPAGE 2
MEDIA COVERAGEPAGE 3
WES TS ID E I MP A C T PRO J EC T
Contact Information:
Sarah Blanch [email protected]
310.215.9924 x133 (phone) 310.215.9926 (fax)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2013
New Group Sets its Sights on Underage Drinking in Santa Monica Goal to Reduce Underage Alcohol Use and its Associated Harms
Santa Monica, CA – Santa Monica has been targeted for a new, county-funded initiative to lower its rates of
underage drinking, which are among the highest in L.A. County. The Westside Impact Project – funded by the
Substance Abuse and Prevention Control Division of Los Angeles County – aims to achieve substantial reductions
in the city’s incidence of underage drinking over the next 5 years, as well as its associated harms, which include
traffic crashes, school problems, violence, and sexual assault.
“Sometimes it’s forgotten about, but alcohol remains the drug of choice for youth and it presents the most dan-
ger,” says Brenda Simmons, Project Director. “Studies show that kids are starting to drink at younger ages than
ever before, and the rates of adolescent binge drinking are rising.”
The local data offers a serious look at the problem. The 2010 California Healthy Kids Survey, which surveyed L.A.
County students on their alcohol use, found that 75 percent of Santa Monica High School 11th graders described
alcohol as ‘Very Easy’ or ‘Fairly Easy’ to get. Twenty-six percent reported at least one incident of binge drinking
within the previous month, which is defined as consuming 5 or more alcoholic beverages in one session. Santa
Monica youth were 10 percent more likely to report having had a drink during the previous 30 days.
Underage drinking remains a national epidemic, as well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
reports that people aged 12 to 20 years drink 11 percent of all alcohol consumed in the U.S., and more than 90
percent of that alcohol is consumed in the form of binge drinking. A recent Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (ARDI)
study concluded alcohol is responsible for 4,700 underage deaths annually. In 2010, approximately 189,000
persons under age 21 were emitted to emergency rooms for injuries and other alcohol-related conditions.
The Westside Impact Project is being directed by the Institute for Public Strategies, an L.A.-based non-profit
focusing on Environmental Prevention, with support from the CLARE Foundation, a substance abuse treatment
and recovery center that has operated in Santa Monica for 40 years. The team is talking with residents, commu-
nity groups, local law enforcement, and school officials to get their perspectives and determine solutions that
reduce youth alcohol access in the places they get it most: social and retail settings.
Officials on the Project acknowledge that solutions for the primary underage drinking culprit – home parties – can
be tricky because of culturally engrained beliefs that underage drinking is ‘okay’ if it’s done at home.
“These kinds of parental decisions can be difficult, and there can be a prevailing attitude that, ‘Underage drinking
is inevitable…I’d rather have it happen in my own home where I can control it,’” says Matthew Healy, Director of
Clinical Services at the CLARE Foundation. “That sets up a dangerous precedent. If you’re permissive, who else is
going to be permissive? Who’s going to be serving your kids alcohol this weekend? It’s an uncomfortable proposi-
tion.”
Because of Santa Monica’s high volume of alcohol outlets, the Project will also focus on solutions that reduce
youth access to alcohol within retail environments. Santa Monica was ranked sixth highest out of 117 cities in the
county for its concentration of bars and restaurants in a recent L.A. County Public Health report. Retail-focused
strategies that have shown quantifiable reductions in underage drinking rates in other communities include
Deemed Approved Ordinances, which impose community-determined performance standards on existing alcohol
outlets; minor decoy operations; and dedicated compliance officers, who work to guide and assist alcohol retail-
ers with any new programs.
Simmons underscores that the Westside Impact Project is not anti-business, or even anti-alcohol. “We recognize
that alcohol establishments play an important role in our economy and culture,” says Simmons. “We just want to
collaborate with the community to ensure Santa Monica has the best mechanisms in place to lower its rates of
underage drinking.”
“Ultimately, this work is about creating a loving, community-wide shift in our attitudes toward underage
drinking,” says Trisha Roth, Chair of Substance Abuse for Chapter Two of the American Academy of Pediatrics,
Santa Monica resident, and Westside Impact Coalition member. “We, the adults, can all come together on this,
recognizing that underage drinking is a real public health and safety concern. We all want the same thing: the
safest, healthiest community possible for our young people.”
# # #
New Group Targets Underage Drinking Page 2
ALCOHOL AND CRIME IN VENICEPRESS RELEASE
APRIL 17, 2014
PAGE 15SARAH BLANCH MEDIA WORK
PRESS RELEASEPAGE 16
MEDIA COVERAGEPAGE 19
WES TS ID E I MP A C T PRO J EC T
Contact Information:
Sarah Blanch [email protected]
310.215.9924 x133 (phone) 310.215.9926 (fax)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 17, 2013
Is Crime in Venice Related to Alcohol? Studies Show Causal Link Between Alcohol Outlet Density and a Range of Public Health and Safety Issues,
Including Underage Drinking
Venice, CA – Recent data from some of the nation’s leading researchers further the theory that alcohol
outlet density and problems such as crime and underage drinking are linked – findings that may have
special significance for Venice. According to the research, neighborhoods with a high concentration of
bars, restaurants and liquor stores suffer more frequent incidences of violent crime and a wide range
of other alcohol-related problems, including domestic violence, sexual assault, traffic collisions, under-
age drinking, and ‘blight’ in the form of noise, traffic, loitering and littering.
Venice currently has 106 licensed alcohol outlets, which translates to 33 outlets per square mile.
The county’s average is four per square mile.
“It is becoming increasingly evident that the number and type of alcohol businesses in a community is
one of the most significant contributing factors to public health and safety,” said Bob Saltz, Senior
Research Scientist at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. “So-called ‘wetter’ neighbor-
hoods have higher levels not just of public drunkenness, noise, and calls for police service, but also
of serious issues such as violent crime, and drinking and driving. The evidence also shows that
violence and other problems decrease when alcohol availability goes down.”
Over the past three months, Venice averaged 5.5 violent crimes and 24.2 property crimes per week.
Venice’s rates of underage drinking are also high. The most recent California Healthy Kids Survey
indicates one in four LAUSD students binge drink multiple times per month.
Luciana Carvalho, Teen Services Director at the Venice Boys & Girls Club, says she sees the effect
alcohol has on students at the Club.
“We see how much kids struggle with it and recognize this is an issue that is perpetuated by many
factors, including the lack of youth-friendly entertainment, adults who enable drinking, and a lack of
empowerment among our youth when it comes to decisions around alcohol,” said Carvalho.
Representatives point to the pervasiveness of alcohol in Venice as a primary contributor to another
prevalent community issue: homelessness.
“Alcohol simply adds fuel to the challenges facing our homeless population,” said Sarah Blanch, Venice
resident and manager of the Westside Impact Coalition – a group of local residents, parents, educators,
and community leaders seeking to lower the community’s rates of underage and binge drinking.
“Alcohol is everywhere in Venice, and it’s easy to get, which makes getting off the streets less likely in
every way. Not to mention that chronic alcoholism amongst the homeless adds to loitering, littering,
and noise in our neighborhoods.”
Measures do exist to counter community impacts from heavy alcohol outlet density, which is typically
accomplished through local government exercising its land-use authority, either by controlling the
distribution of alcohol licenses or defining new terms for alcohol licenses. Options include limiting or
halting new licenses; setting minimum distances between alcohol outlets; limiting new licenses for
areas that already have heavy outlet density; or permanently closing outlets that repeatedly violate
liquor laws. Other possible solutions include mandatory responsible beverage service trainings, which
teach alcohol retailers how to avoid service to minors and intoxicated patrons, as well as compliance
checks by local law enforcement to ensure retailers are engaging in responsible serving practices.
The Venice Neighborhood Council (VNC) is a group of elected representatives who function as a bridge
between the Venice community and LA City Council. According to VNC president Linda Lucks, the issue
of alcohol outlet density is increasingly important: “The Venice Neighborhood Council board has to
look harder and closer before agreeing to alcohol licenses. Having the data on density of alcohol
licenses to share with the community before we vote would have been important and may have
changed the outcome of several recent approvals.”
The VNC is currently working with the Westside Impact Coalition to consider a range of solutions,
including a possible town hall where Venice residents can share their perspectives on the issue in a
public forum.
Crime and AOD in Venice Page 2
“We want to do what we can to create the most responsible retail alcohol culture possible in our
community, which is a win-win for business and for all Venice residents,” said Ms. Blanch. “It’s
ultimately all about safety, health and quality of life.”
# # # ABOUT THE WESTSIDE IMPACT PROJECT
The Westside Impact Project aims to reduce alcohol-related problems in Santa Monica and Venice.
Instead of traditional prevention approaches which primarily involve education, the Westside Impact
Project is focused on environmental solutions around the primary community sources of alcohol: bars,
convenience/liquor stores and restaurants.
The project’s ultimate goal is to promote healthier and safer communities that continue to thrive in
Santa Monica and Venice by implementing city and business practices that are proven to prevent
alcohol-related harms. Public policy is a reflection of what a community cares about. When effective
policies are enacted and well-enforced, they create positive changes in community norms that are
permanently sustainable.
The Westside Impact Project is funded by the County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Health,
Substance Abuse, Prevention and Control. The project is being implemented by the Institute for Public
Strategies, a non-profit organization based in Los Angeles County. The project is informed and guided
by a group of community stakeholders and residents – the Westside Impact Coalition.
Crime and AOD in Venice Page 3
RECO & REMINDER OPERATIONMEDIA EVENT
JUNE 30, 2014
PAGE 21SARAH BLANCH MEDIA WORK
MEDIA ADVISORYPAGE 22
EVENT MATERIALSPAGE 24
PRESS COVERAGEPAGE 25
WES TS ID E I MP A C T PRO J EC T
Contact Information:
Sarah Blanch [email protected]
310.215.9924 x133 (phone) 310.215.9926 (fax)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2014
Community Group Conducts “Recognition and Reminder”
Operation to See if Santa Monica Alcohol Outlets are Carding Three out of ten outlets failed to check I.D.
Santa Monica, CA – The Westside Impact Project announced today it conducted an operation last week to
determine if Santa Monica alcohol businesses are carding minors. The effort, dubbed a “Recognition and
Reminder” operation, utilized a young-looking over-21-year-old who attempted to purchase a six-pack of
beer at 10 liquor stores in Santa Monica. If the sales clerk asked for identification, the decoy presented a
card congratulating the establishment for properly checking ID. If the sales clerk failed to ask for identification,
the decoy presented a card ‘reminding’ the vendor that checking ID prevents sales to minors. Three of the
10 establishments involved in the operation failed to ask for identification when the decoy attempted to
purchase alcohol.
“It was fascinating to get a real picture of how serious Santa Monica alcohol outlets are about keeping alcohol
away from minors,” said Sarah Blanch, Manager of the Westside Impact Project. “It was great that seven outlets
were responsible and asked for ID. But the fact that three outlets didn’t card – which is about 33 percent – is
unacceptable. We’re so glad to get the message out there that the community cares about the way these
businesses are operating.”
The Westside Impact Project conducted the operations as a part of a county contract to reduce underage and
binge drinking in Santa Monica. The Project is focused on the primary points of underage access to alcohol –
retail and social environments. The data indicates that underage drinking and minors’ access to alcohol are issues
of concern in Santa Monica. In the 2011 California Healthy Kids Survey, 75 percent of Santa Monica High School
juniors reported that alcohol was “Very Easy” to get. Twenty-six percent reported engaging in at least one
episode of binge drinking (five or more drinks in one session) within the previous 30 days.
Recognition and Reminder operations carry no real legal consequences for alcohol establishments. They are
intended to positively reinforce good business practices. Recognition and Reminder initiatives have long been
used as a tool in preventing tobacco sales to youth and are increasingly being used in underage drinking
prevention efforts. The premise is that public recognition and reward of good behavior for stores and clerks who
do the right thing reduces illegal sales even faster than enforcement, which is saved for people who are intent on
breaking the law.
The team conducting the operations also notified the retailers that Santa Monica Police Department will be
conducting Minor Decoy Operations over the next year. In Minor Decoy Operations, under law enforcement
direction, a ‘decoy’ younger than 20 years of age attempts to purchase alcohol at licensed establishments. A first-
time sale may result in a fine or license suspension. A second sale to a minor within a three year period is an
automatic license suspension. A third sale to a minor within a three-year period may result in license revocation.
According to the Westside Impact Coalition – a group of parents, residents, educators, business people and
community leaders who advise the Westside Impact Project – the overall intent of all these initiatives is to create
a powerful deterrent effect amongst retailers that will result in reduced alcohol sales to minors. The Coalition will
be conducting additional Recognition and Reminder operations over the course of the next year.
“Aside from home parties, retail stores are a primary place kids get alcohol,” said Marilyn Wexler, 25-year Santa
Monica resident and Westside Impact Coalition member. “The stores are getting put on notice that this matters
to our community – selling to minors isn’t acceptable.”
For more information about the Westside Impact Project, visit www.westsideimpactproject.org or follow their
work at @westsideimpact on Facebook and Twitter.
# # #
ABOUT THE WESTSIDE IMPACT PROJECT
The Westside Impact Project aims to reduce alcohol-related problems in Santa Monica and Venice. Instead of
traditional prevention approaches that primarily involve education, the Westside Impact Project is focused on
environmental solutions around the primary community sources of alcohol: bars, convenience/liquor stores and
restaurants, as well as social settings, such as underage drinking parties.
The Project’s ultimate goal is to promote healthier and safer communities that continue to thrive in Santa Monica
and Venice by implementing city and business practices that are proven to prevent alcohol-related harms. Public
policy is a reflection of what a community cares about. When effective policies are enacted and well-enforced,
they create positive changes in community norms that are permanently sustainable.
The Westside Impact Project is funded by the County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Health, Substance
Abuse, Prevention and Control. The Project is being implemented by the Institute for Public Strategies, a non-
profit organization based in Los Angeles County. The Project is informed and guided by a group of community
stakeholders and residents – the Westside Impact Coalition.
Recognition and Reminder Operation Page 2
PAGE 24SARAH BLANCH MEDIA WORK
LAW ENFORCEMENT MAILINGSMEDIA EVENT
OCTOBER 24, 2014
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MEDIA ADVISORYPAGE 30
MAILINGSPAGE 32
PRESS COVERAGEPAGE 33
W E S T S I D E I M P A C T P R O J E C T
DATE: October 24, 2014 MEDIA CONTACT: Sarah Blanch 310.215.9924 x133
MEDIA ADVISORY
Santa Monica Enforces Underage Drinking Laws
WHAT: Last week, over 4,500 Santa Monica households and 400 Santa Monica bars, restaurants and
liquor stores received mailings notifying them of upcoming enforcement operations being
conducted by the Santa Monica Police Department to reduce Santa Monica’s rates of under-
age and binge drinking. (SEE ATTACHED MAILERS.)
The efforts are being funded through a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services and have two primary components: the deployment of underage decoys and
undercover investigations at bars, restaurants and stores; and high patrol visibility enforce-
ment operations targeting party hosts who allow underage drinking.
WHY: The data indicates that underage and binge drinking are issues of concern in Santa Monica. In
a recent California Healthy Kids Survey, 75 percent of Santa Monica High School juniors re-
ported that alcohol was “Very Easy” to get. Twenty six percent reported engaging in at least
one episode of binge drinking (five or more drinks in one session) within the previous 30 days.
In addition, Santa Monica has a high concentration of alcohol outlets, averaging one alcohol
business per 294 residents, which is more than twice the county’s average. High alcohol outlet
density has been linked to a range of community problems including binge drinking, drinking
and driving, traffic crashes, crime and public nuisance activity.
The enforcement operations funded by the grant are designed to combat these issues. En-
forcement supported by high-visibility media has been demonstrated to reduce youth alcohol
access and binge drinking rates.
WHO: All enforcement operations will be conducted by the Santa Monica Police Department. The
federal grant was procured by the Institute for Public Strategies (IPS) to support the Westside
Impact Project, a county-funded effort to reduce alcohol-related problems in Santa Monica.
For more information about the Westside Impact Project, visit
www.westsideimpactproject.org
Alcohol retailers and party hosts put on notice
WHEN: The house party mailer targeting underage drinking was distributed mid-October to
over 4,500 Santa Monica households. The retail enforcement letter and flyer, also
distributed mid-October, were mailed to all Santa Monica businesses selling alcohol
(approximately 400).
# # #
ABOUT THE WESTSIDE IMPACT PROJECT
The Westside Impact Project aims to reduce alcohol-related problems in Santa Monica and
Venice. Instead of traditional prevention approaches that primarily involve education, the
Westside Impact Project is focused on environmental solutions around the primary community
sources of alcohol: bars, convenience/liquor stores and restaurants, as well as social settings,
such as underage drinking parties.
The Westside Impact Project is funded by the County of Los Angeles, Department of Public
Health, Substance Abuse, Prevention and Control. The Project is being implemented by the
Institute for Public Strategies, a non-profit organization based in Los Angeles County.
The Project is informed and guided by a group of community stakeholders and residents – the
Westside Impact Coalition.
For more information about the Westside Impact Project, visit their website at
www.westsideimpactproject.org or on Twitter and Facebook @westsideimpact.
Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws Page 2
PAGE 32SARAH BLANCH MEDIA WORK
OPINION EDITORIALSSANTA MONICA & VENICE
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2014
PAGE 34SARAH BLANCH MEDIA WORK
DANGEROUS RITUAL OR RITE OF PASSAGEPAGE 35
OUR CUP RUNNETH OVERPAGE 37
UNDERAGE DRINKING: RITE OF PASSAGE OR DANGEROUS RITUAL?
OP-ED
Marilyn Wexler (full credentials)
This spring, SMMUSD administered the California Healthy Kids Survey, and I’m very curious to see what
our youth say about alcohol. The last time the survey was given (in the 2012/13 school year,) 33%
SMMUSD students -- essentially, 1 in 3 – reported they had engaged in binge drinking (5+ drinks in once
session) at least once over the previous 30 days. Seventy-five percent of Santa Monica High School
juniors said alcohol was “very easy” to get.
In a nutshell, Santa Monica teens have abundant access to alcohol and when they drink it, they drink a
lot, which begs the question, what role shall we play as parents? How do we teach, mentor and guide
our children in an alcohol-saturated world?
There’s no easy answer, but I think if we as parents get really honest with ourselves, we’re more
complacent about it than perhaps we should be. Society can view underage drinking as a standard rite-
of-passage: “I did it, why can’t they? It’s no big deal.” Many of us believe – with good intentions – that if
we allow parties to happen at our homes we’re keeping our kids safer. A closer look at the data might
inspire us to tighten our standards.
According to the CDC, alcohol is responsible for more than 4,300 underage deaths annually in the U.S.
People aged 12 to 20 years drink 11% of all alcohol consumed, and more than 90% of this alcohol is
consumed in the form of binge drinking. Youth who drink alcohol are more likely to face a range of
harms including school problems, drinking and driving, fighting, injury, and, just as seriously, unplanned
or unwanted sexual activity. A recent report from the Major Crimes Unit in Ventura County found that
70% of assaults on young women came out of home parties.
In addition, the adolescent brain is particularly vulnerable to physical and structural damage as a result
of alcohol consumption. According to the AMA, alcohol takes a greater toll on brain development of
those under twenty-one than on any other age group.
As parents, do we think this is acceptable? If we really consider the facts and the consequences, I know
we don’t. We’ll never eliminate underage drinking completely, but we can certainly reduce the
frequency and the amount teens drink by making it less accessible. It starts with a change in our
attitudes. Let’s start taking underage drinking more seriously in Santa Monica. We’re the adults. We set
the standards. There’s no excuse for apathy.
NEW ALCOHOL LICENSES: THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN OP-ED Ilana Marosi (full credentials) I am writing as a concerned resident who has lived in Venice for 14 years. I appreciate its artistic spirit and diversity which is what originally drew me here from 8000 miles across the globe. However, as anyone who lives here knows, development is at a fever pitch – and that includes applications for new restaurants. These places, obviously, want to make as much money as possible. Their first, and seemingly only, consideration isn’t about the quality of life of the people who live next door or nearby. As a result, multiple applications are being considered for new restaurants that would be merely a few feet from people’s homes. These restaurants propose large, open patios that would seat 60-100 people and be serving alcohol until past midnight. Everyone in Venice likes people to have a good time, but to have a party that goes until 2 AM right outside your window every night – especially if you have young children – is no one’s idea of fun. It not only drastically compromises quality of life in the neighborhood, it affects property values. So, what right do we have as a community to keep this from happening? As it turns out, the BEST mechanism to stop this is broken. According to State law, the Public Convenience or Necessity (PCN) process is supposed to exert controls over the unchecked growth of alcohol businesses in communities, to keep them safer and more livable. If an application for a new alcohol license is submitted in an area that is either: a) over-saturated with businesses selling alcohol, according to the California Alcoholic Beverage Control’s (ABC’s) guidelines; OR, b) has high crime rates (20% above city averages), it is supposed to go through the PCN process. That means the applicant has to prove the new business is “convenient” or “necessary” to justify its existence in the community. If the applicant cannot prove the new business is “convenient” or “necessary,” the license is supposed to be denied. Because Venice is so severely over-concentrated with alcohol outlets – in some areas 3 to 4 times what is supposedly admissible by ABC – most applications for new alcohol licenses should go through the PCN process. However, for restaurants in particular, there are no public hearings where we as a community can come and give our input as part of the process! The community has no idea that rulings are being made, and there aren’t opportunities for us to have our voices heard. Secondly, and even more importantly, there are no standardized definitions or criteria established for what it means for a business to be “convenient” or “necessary,” which leaves the door wide open for ABC and the City of LA to apply very subjective, loose and changing definitions. In other words, one of THE most crucial tools for evaluating new licenses not only doesn’t adequately involve community input, it has no consistent or rigorous standards for how it’s applied. No wonder Venice has so many alcohol businesses. Another relevant, yet evidently overlooked issue here in Venice, is the concentration of alcohol licenses and their effect on the community. According to the 2011 report published by Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, entitled Reducing Alcohol Related Harms in Los Angeles County, there exists a direct correlation between Alcohol Outlet Density in an area and Alcohol-Related Harms in that same area. Having a high density of either on-premises or off-premises outlets (of which Venice has both) was associated with significantly higher rates of alcohol related harms as follows: Alcohol-Involved Motor Vehicle Crashes are 3 times more likely, Alcohol-Related Deaths are 5 times more likely, and Violent Crimes are 9 to 10 times more likely to
occur. Venice appears to be undergoing an upsurge in crime of late. Locals are extremely concerned by that, and by the ever increasing over-saturation of alcohol outlets. Essentially all Venetians, and Los Angelenos at large, should be calling for transparency of this process so our voices can be heard when new alcohol outlets are being considered. For this to occur, we must call for the PCN process to be significantly reformed in two ways: one, the creation of standardized criteria for what constitutes “convenient” and “necessary;” and two, the inclusion of public hearings where we as a community can weigh in on the process. To the people of Venice: let's make that call! It’s our community. It should be our choice.
SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN#ITSTOOEASY
MARCH 2015
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#ITSTOOEASY LANDING PAGE, FLYER, YOUTUBE VIDEOPAGE 42
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