Community Prevention Partners’ Alcohol Initiative works to reduce Santa Cruz County binge drinking by reducing youth access to alcohol through retail and social sources.

Objective measure:  By September 2021, there will be a 3% decrease in binge drinking among Santa Cruz County 11th grade youth, as measured by California Healthy Kids Survey. 

Recent successes:

• Watsonville Alcohol Ordinance Updates -passed June 2019:

  • Examples of Environmental Prevention in Watsonville Alcohol Policy

• Unincorporated Santa Cruz County Alcohol Ordinance -passed May 2018

Policy Solutions

• Social Host Ordinances-Preventing underage alcohol access at parties

• Tools to Manage Alcohol Outlet Density

  • Conditional Use Permits (CUP): considers zoning, location, operational conditions, and number of new alcohol outlets new outlets permitted.

  • Deemed Approved Ordinances (DAO): a local process to respond to nuisance outlets. DAOs establish performance standards and includes a fee to cover education and compliance checks.

• Lee Law implementation- Addressing signage and advertisement of alcohol

  • In California, the Lee Law establishes public health and safety standards for all alcohol retail stores. It also contains a window signage provision that prohibits alcohol retail stores from covering more than 33% of the square footage of windows and clear doors with signs of any sort.

Education/Mobilization Projects

• Responsible Alcohol Merchant Awards – Limiting youth access to alcohol from alcohol outlets through merchant education, engagement, and celebration of business practices that prevent underage drinking

• Family and Community Committed Campaign

• School-based education/assemblies

  • Real DUI in Schools

For more information about the Alcohol Initiative, which started as Project CURB, please visit:
projectcurb. org

ALCOHOL FACTS

ALCOHOL and COVID-19

• California Alcoholic Beverage Control Changes

• Alcohol Use Trends and Safer Alcohol Sale Policies for COVID-19

• ”How to Relax at Home Without Drinking too Much”

Local Materials Developed

• Local Stats, Snapshot & Policy briefs

  • CPP Project CURB Alcohol Density Brief South County

  • CPP Project CURB Alcohol Density Brief County-Wide

  • Local Social host ordinances

• Presentations/PSAs

  • Project CURB PSA

  • Alcohol Outlet Density in Santa Cruz County

  • Alcohol Density& Community Safety Watsonville City Council 2014

  • Alcohol Outlet Density Watsonvilleby Jim Mosher 2013

  • Facts and Myths

Outside Publications

• Policy Briefs

  • Alcohol Outlet Density & Crime

  • Outlet Density & Public Health 2014

  • Reducing Community Alcohol Problems Associated with Alcohol Sales

  • Model Social Host Liability Ordinance

  • Best Practices in Responsible Beverages Services and Sales Trainings

  • Best Practices in Municipal Regulation to Reduce Alcohol-Related Harms from Licensed Alcohol Outlets

  • The Impact of Prop 26 on Alc. Retail DAO

• Links to Other Alcohol Resources

  • University of California Santa Cruz Student Health Outreach and Promotion (SHOP)

  • Regulations and the Three-Tier Distribution System - JimMosher.2013 (presentation)

  • Stop Underage Drinking

  • SAMHSA - Talk, They Hear You

  • Blood Alcohol Calculator

To find out about the next meeting, contact: Crystal Gonzalez