New Alcohol-Harm Mitigation Fee Proposed
for San Francisco
On Tuesday, June 9, 2009, San Francisco Supervisor John Avalos, Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, called for a new city fee on wholesale alcohol sales to mitigate the estimated $175 million in alcohol-related harm the City-by-the-Bay suffers annually. 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. Read More
