Background
Alcohol policy: the importance of the law
Methods: data sources and policy ratings
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Conditional use permits (CUPs) required for new establishments selling or serving alcohol that regulate such conditions as hours of operation, types of alcoholic beverages that can be served, and outdoor lighting requirements;
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Deemed approved ordinances (DAOs) for preexisting establishments selling or serving alcohol;
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Outdoor advertising/billboards of alcoholic beverages ordinances;
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Public drinking ordinances;
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Responsible beverage service (RBS) training required for staff of establishments selling or serving alcohol;
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Social host policies mandating criminal and/or civil sanctions of hosts of underage drinking parties;
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Special outdoor events policies governing alcohol service and consumption at such events such as street fairs;
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Window advertising of alcoholic beverages provisions.
CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS (CUPs) | In California, state government has the exclusive right over alcohol sales licenses. However, local governments have authority to regulate land use to protect health, welfare and safety. To reduce problems related to the density of alcohol outlets (noise, loitering, vandalism, littering, assault and battery, underage purchasing of alcohol, and more), localities use CUPs to regulate retail alcohol sales. CUPs may require that licensed establishments be a minimum distance from schools, parks, or churches; limit alcohol sales to certain hours; maintain nighttime lighting; and take action to prevent nuisance, and criminal activities on or in close proximity to the premises. |
DEEMED APPROVED ORDINANCES (DAOs) | DAOs use the same zoning authority to apply CUP-equivalent standards to pre-existing alcohol outlets. Outlets in existence at the time CUPs have been enacted are exempted from CUP requirements. However, DAOs require these pre-existing outlets to meet the same types of standards as those governed by CUPs. |
RESPONSIBILE BEVERAGE SERVICE TRAINING (RBS) | RBS Training ordinances establish mandatory or voluntary compliance with merchant education and server action standards to ensure compliance with prohibitions on serving minors or intoxicated persons. These ordinances may require that licensees, managers, servers, or other employees attend RBS training. |
PROHIBITIONS ON HOSTING UNDERAGE DRINKING PARTIES (SOCIAL HOST) | Social host ordinances hold individuals responsible for underage drinking events on property they own, lease, or otherwise control. Social host ordinances may be general, applying to all individuals, or they may have provisions that are specific to underage drinking. They are also often closely linked to other laws prohibiting furnishing alcohol to minors, but social host ordinances apply without regard to who furnishes the alcohol. Criminal or civil penalties may apply to social host violations. |
LIMITATIONS ON WINDOW ADVERTISING OF ALCOHOL | These ordinances restrict the size and placement of window advertisements in stores by mandating a maximum percentage of total window space that can be covered generally by advertisements or specifically by alcohol ads. |
LIMITATIONS ON BILLBOARDS AND OTHER OUTDOOR ALCOHOL ADVERTISING | Policies that ban all outdoor advertising or limit outdoor advertising of alcoholic beverages, particularly ads exposing minors to alcohol messages. Included in these types of ordinances are bans on ads on public transportation, such as trains and buses, bus shelters, parks, billboards, supermarket carts, parking structures, near schools and residential areas, and at community events such as sporting events, concerts, and street fairs. |
PROHIBITIONS ON PUBLIC DRINKING | These are crimes defined as consuming or possessing alcoholic beverages in public. Public intoxication ordinances generally do not depend on specific blood alcohol content levels; instead, they rely on the physical possession of alcohol. |
RESTRICTIONS ON ALCOHOL AVAILABILITY FOR SPECIAL EVENTS | Alcohol restrictions at special events, such as concerts, street fairs, and sporting events, control the availability and use of alcohol at these venues. Restrictions can include complete bans on consumption, warning signs about the dangers of alcohol consumption, mandates to establish separate drinking areas into which minors are prohibited, mandatory RBS training for servers, alcohol purchase limitations, and retention of security staff. |
Source | Year(s) |
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1. The U.S. Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking (Goals 1,2,4 and 6) | 2007 |
2. The Community Guide by The Community Preventive Services Task Force | 2011 |
3. The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)’s Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee on Preventing Underage Drinking (ICCPUD) Report to Congress on Plans for Combating Underage Drinking [56] | 2004 |
4. The Institutes of Medicine (IOM) Report on Reducing Underage Drinking | 2003 |
5. Model Ordinances on CUPs and DAOs - Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE)[57] | 2007; 2008 |
6. Model Social Host Ordinance (PIRE) [58] | 2005 |
7. Best Practices Reports on Regulatory Strategies for Preventing Youth Access to Alcohol (PIRE/U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) | 1999 |
8. Best Practices Report on Using Local Land Use Powers to Prevent Underage Drinking (PIRE/OJJDP) | 2000 |
9. Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) Report on Alcohol Advertising Laws [59] | 2003 |
10. Myths and Realities about Drinking in America (PIRE/OJJDP [60]) | 2002 |
11. Empirical Research Literature on Alcohol Policy at U.S. federal, state, and local levels including: [Barry et al. 2004 61]; [Dent et al. 2005 62];[Dills 2010 63]; [Fell et al. 2008 , 200925, 26]; [Forster et al. 1994,1995 32, 64]; [Freisthler et al. 2003 51]; Grube 2005 [14]; [Grube and Nygaard 2005 16]; [Gruenewald et al. 2002 40]; [Holder et al. 1997 65]; [Laixuthai and Chaloupka 1993 66]; Mosher et al. 2002 [34]; O’ [Malley and Wagenaar 1991 20]; [Paschall et al. 2007 50]; [Stout et al. 2000 67]; [Toomey and Wagenaar 2002 54]; [Treno et al. 2003 45]; [Voas et al. 2003 68]; [Wagenaar et al. 2005 69]; [Whetten-Goldstein et al. 2000 70]; [Wittman and Hilton 1987 and 2007 37]; [Yu 1997 71];Institute for Public Strategies 2003 [Ker and Chinnock 2008 55]; [Shults et al. 2002 28]; [Hahn et al 2010 48]; [Middleton et al. 2010 49]; [Campbell et al. 2009 50]. | 1987–2010 |
Conditional use permits | |
---|---|
Presence or absence of alcohol-related CUP | 1.00 |
Mandatory limitations on hours of sales | 2.00 |
Minimum distances from public schools and parks or churches | 1.00 |
Conditions regarding night lighting | 1.00 |
Prohibitions in areas of over-concentration, high crime rate, etc. | 2.00 |
DEEMED APPROVED ORDINANCES | |
Presence or absence of alcohol-related DA | 1.00 |
Mandatory limitations on hours of sales | 2.00 |
Conditions regarding night lighting | 1.00 |
Prohibitions in areas of over-concentration, high crime rate, etc. | 2.00 |
RESPONSIBLE BEVERAGE SERVICE | |
Existence of law | 1.00 |
Mandatory | 2.00 |
Voluntary | 1.00 |
Some must obtain training (licensee, manager, servers) | 1.00 |
All must obtain training | 2.00 |
Applies to on-premises | 1.00 |
Applies to off –premises | 1.00 |
Applies to new establishments | 1.00 |
Applies to existing establishments | 1.00 |
Presence of certification renewal period | 1.00 |
SOCIAL HOST | |
Existence of law | 1.00 |
Applies to underage (person or party) | 2.00 |
Civil | 2.00 |
Criminal | 1.00 |
Range of property types (residence, outdoor property) | 1.00 |
Knowledge requirement | −1.00 |
WINDOW ADVERTISING | |
Existence of law | 1.00 |
Any provision about distance from schools or parks | 1.00 |
Applies to some establishments | 1.00 |
Applies to all establishments | 2.00 |
OUTDOOR ADS/BILLBOARDS | |
Existence of law | 1.00 |
Prohibited near schools? | 1.00 |
PUBLIC DRINKING | |
Existence of law | 1.00 |
Range of types of public spaces (parks, beaches, schools) | 1.00 |
Narrow range of circumstances in which alcohol is permitted | 1.00 |
SPECIAL OUTDOOR EVENTS | |
Existence of law | 1.00 |
Controlled alcohol consumption spaces | 1.00 |
Security measures | 1.00 |
City | Conditional use permits | Deemed approved ordinances | Public drinking | Social host |
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Antioch | 4.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Bakersfield | 1.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 6.00 |
Baldwin Park | 3.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 |
Chico | 1.00 | 0.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 |
Corona | 1.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 7.00 |
Davis | 6.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 7.00 |
Diamond Bar | 1.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Fairfield | 5.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Folsom | 4.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Fresno | 3.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 6.00 |
Gardena | 1.00 | 0.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 |
Hemet | 1.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 |
Huntington Beach | 2.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Huntington Park | 5.00 | 4.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
La Mesa | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 7.00 |
Lake Forest | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Lancaster | 7.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Livermore | 1.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 |
Merced | 4.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 5.00 |
Milpitas | 1.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Modesto | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 6.00 |
Napa | 7.00 | 6.00 | 3.00 | 7.00 |
National City | 6.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 7.00 |
Orange | 6.00 | 5.00 | 3.00 | 5.00 |
Petaluma | 5.00 | 4.00 | 3.00 | 6.00 |
Pico Rivera | 5.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Rancho Cucamonga | 1.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Redding | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Redlands | 1.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Richmond | 7.00 | 6.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Sacramento | 6.00 | 5.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Salinas | 7.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 4.00 |
San Leandro | 7.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 6.00 |
San Rafael | 1.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 6.00 |
Santa Barbara | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 6.00 |
Santa Clarita | 2.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Santa Cruz | 5.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 6.00 |
Santa Maria | 3.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 5.00 |
Santa Monica | 6.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Santa Rosa | 7.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 6.00 |
Simi Valley | 4.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 6.00 |
Stockton | 4.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Sunnyvale | 7.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 7.00 |
Temecula | 5.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Tracy | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Turlock | 3.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 5.00 |
Ventura | 5.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 7.00 |
Visalia | 4.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Vista | 4.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 6.00 |
Walnut Creek | 6.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
City | Outdoor advertising | Special outdoor events | Window advertising | Responsible beverage service |
---|---|---|---|---|
Antioch | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Bakersfield | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Baldwin Park | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Chico | 1.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Corona | 1.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Davis | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Diamond Bar | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 7.00 |
Fairfield | 2.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Folsom | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Fresno | 1.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Gardena | 2.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Hemet | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Huntington Beach | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Huntington Park | 1.00 | 1.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
La Mesa | 1.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Lake Forest | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Lancaster | 2.00 | 3.00 | 2.00 | 7.00 |
Livermore | 2.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Merced | 1.00 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 |
Milpitas | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Modesto | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Napa | 0.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
National City | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7.00 |
Orange | 1.00 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 7.00 |
Petaluma | 0.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 10.00 |
Pico Rivera | 1.00 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 |
Rancho Cucamonga | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Redding | 2.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Redlands | 1.00 | 2.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Richmond | 2.00 | 1.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Sacramento | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Salinas | 1.00 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 8.00 |
San Leandro | 1.00 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 |
San Rafael | 2.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Santa Barbara | 2.00 | 1.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
Santa Clarita | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Santa Cruz | 0.00 | 1.00 | 3.00 | 4.00 |
Santa Maria | 0.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Santa Monica | 0.00 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 6.00 |
Santa Rosa | 0.00 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 8.00 |
Simi Valley | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Stockton | 0.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Sunnyvale | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Temecula | 1.00 | 3.00 | 2.00 | 4.00 |
Tracy | 0.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Turlock | 1.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Ventura | 0.00 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 6.00 |
Visalia | 0.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Vista | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Walnut Creek | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Results: Are California communities implementing best practices? Variation across policy topics and cities
Number of cities in 50 city sample with each type of alcohol policy
Conditional Use Permits | |
---|---|
Presence of alcohol-related CUP | 44 |
Mandatory limitations on hours of sales | 15 |
Minimum distances from schools, parks, and churches | 27 |
Conditions regarding night lighting | 12 |
Prohibitions in areas of over-concentration, high crime, etc. | 31 |
Deemed Approved Ordinances | |
Presence or absence of alcohol-related DAO | 13 |
Mandatory limitations on hours of sales | 4 |
Conditions regarding night lighting | 4 |
Prohibitions in areas of over-concentration, high crime, etc. | 13 |
Responsible Beverage Service Training | |
Existence of law | 11 |
Mandatory training requirements | 9 |
Training applies to all | 2 |
Training applies to some | 7 |
Applies to new premises | 10 |
Applies to existing premises | 6 |
Applies to on-sale premises | 9 |
Applies to off-sale premises | 7 |
Certification renewal period | 1 |
Social Host | |
Existence of law | 24 |
Applies to underage parties | 21 |
Civil violation | 21 |
Criminal violation | 18 |
Applies to a range of property types (residence, outdoor property) | 22 |
Existence of a knowledge requirement | 6 |
Window Advertising Limitations | |
Existence of law | 19 |
Distance provision from schools or parks | 0 |
Establishment type specification | 17 |
Outdoor/Billboard Advertising Limitations | |
Existence of law | 26 |
Prohibited near schools | 10 |
Public Drinking Prohibitions | |
Existence of law | 50 |
Prohibitions across range of spaces (parks, beaches, etc.) | 48 |
Narrow range of circumstances in which alcohol is permitted | 46 |
Special Outdoor Events Restrictions | |
Existence of law | 44 |
Controlled alcohol consumption spaces | 10 |
Security measures | 13 |
Policy topic | Range | Median | Mean | Standard deviation |
---|---|---|---|---|
CUPs | 0–7 | 4.00 | 3.50 | 2.40 |
Deemed Approved Ordinances | 0–6 | 0 | 1.02 | 1.82 |
Social Host | 0–8 | 0 | 2.84 | 3.04 |
RBS | 0–10* | 0 | 1.48 | 2.89 |
Window Advertising | 0–4 | 3.00 | 0.86 | 1.20 |
Outdoor/Billboard Advertising | 0–2 | 2.00 | 0.72 | 0.75 |
Public Drinking | 0–3 | 3.00 | 2.88 | 0.43 |
Special Outdoor Events | 0–3 | 1.00 | 1.34 | 0.84 |
Discussion and illustration of use of local datasets
City | Total gap funding (in U.S. dollars) 2008–2010 | Per capita 2008–10 |
---|---|---|
01. Antioch | .0 | .00000000 |
02. Bakersfield | .0 | .00000000 |
03. Baldwin Park | .0 | .00000000 |
04. Chico | .0 | .00000000 |
05. Corona | 43,222.00 | .29086724 |
06. Davis | .0 | .00000000 |
07. Diamond Bar | .0 | .00000000 |
08. Fairfield | 98,378.00 | .92425780 |
09. Folsom | 39,294.00 | .55329630 |
10. Fresno | 150,000.00 | .30247240 |
11. Gardena | .0 | .00000000 |
12. Hemet | .0 | .00000000 |
13. Huntington Beach | 100,000.00 | .49387595 |
14. Huntington Park | .0 | .00000000 |
15. La Mesa | .0 | .00000000 |
16. Lake Forest | 11,536.00 | .14724803 |
17. Lancaster | 62,528.00 | .43100762 |
18. Livermore | .0 | .00000000 |
19. Merced | .0 | .00000000 |
20. Milpitas | .0 | .00000000 |
21. Modesto | 200,000.00 | .95198200 |
22. Napa | .0 | .00000000 |
23. National City | 71,594.00 | 1.26665720 |
24. Orange | .0 | .00000000 |
25. Petaluma | 100,000.00 | 1.73193160 |
26. Pico Rivera | .0 | .00000000 |
27. Rancho Cucamonga | .0 | .00000000 |
28. Redding | .0 | .00000000 |
29. Redlands | .0 | .00000000 |
30. Richmond | .0 | .00000000 |
31. Sacramento | 100,000.00 | .20785830 |
32. Salinas | .0 | .00000000 |
33. San Buenaventura (Ventura) | .0 | .00000000 |
34. San Leandro | .0 | .00000000 |
35. San Rafael | .0 | .00000000 |
36. Santa Barbara | 98,831.00 | 1.09437700 |
37. Santa Clarita | .0 | .00000000 |
38. Santa Cruz | .0 | .00000000 |
39. Santa Maria | .0 | .00000000 |
40. Santa Monica | .0 | .00000000 |
41. Santa Rosa | .0 | .00000000 |
42. Simi Valley | 50,000.00 | .39741206 |
43. Stockton | 79,780.00 | .27471600 |
44. Sunnyvale | .0 | .00000000 |
45. Temecula | 76,262.00 | .74326540 |
46. Tracy | .0 | .00000000 |
47. Turlock | .0 | .00000000 |
48. Visalia | .0 | .00000000 |
49. Vista | .0 | .00000000 |
50. Walnut Creek | .0 | .00000000 |
Total | $1,281,425.00 | 1.73193160 |
Model | Unstandardized coefficients | Standardized coefficients | t | Sig. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
B | Std. Error | Beta | |||
(Constant) | .106 | .053 | 2.017 | .050 | |
Window Advertising Total | .012 | .004 | .423 | 3.035 | .004 |
PER CAPITA 2008–10 | .020 | .012 | .221 | 1.699 | .097 |
Totalpop | −1.807E-8 | .000 | −.041 | −.291 | .773 |
PctWhite | .006 | .031 | .029 | .199 | .844 |
Median HH income | −7.975E-7 | .000 | −.322 | −1.577 | .122 |
Percentage of unemployees (both males and females) (unemployed/labor force) | −.414 | .285 | −.318 | −1.451 | .154 |