Mission, Platform & Principles

Mission

The California Alcohol Policy Alliance (CAPA) shall unite diverse organizations and communities in California to protect health and safety, and prevent alcohol-related harm through statewide action.

Platform

These are the core issues we now unite on, and others shall be developed. All issues will become specific advocacy and policy change action items.

• Raise the price of alcohol through taxes and fees, supporting the “Charge for Harm” concept that the industry should pay for treatment, prevention and all other costs to government.
• Limit alcohol advertising in all media, especially on government-controlled property and where children or targeted populations are exposed.
• Make the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control effective, efficient, transparent, and accountable to public health and safety concerns of the community, and not to cater to industry profits and license expediency, through policies that reduce alcohol outlet density and increase funding for alcohol control,regulation, and enforcement.
• Eliminate product lines (such as alcopops and malt liquors) oriented to underage youth and vulnerable or targeted populations.
• Reduce the allowable blood alcohol content for drivers as “Point .05 Saves Lives”.
• Improve labelling and out-of-home advertising of all alcohol products to ensure a) no marketing to youth, b) no indications of unsubstantiated health claims, c) display of alcohol content by volume and precentage, and d) display of harms.
• Support racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and health justice in all advocacy; seek cultural competency and diversity in our engagement of volunteers, membership, and collaborating organizations; reduce disparities of alcohol harms, eliminate bias in enforcement of alcohol laws, and end inequities in access to alcohol dependence treatment, recovery and care services.

Operating Principles

We shall form an ongoing, statewide alliance in support of a preventive alcohol policy agenda for the State of California. This is an organization-based alliance, but individuals will be encouraged to volunteer.

• CAPA will lobby and take positions on legislation and regulatory reform as part of it’s work, including both direct lobbying and grassroots lobbying. However, a CAPA position does not require any organization to support that legislation or to lobby. CAPA, along with it’s coalition partners, will develop and support legislation based on the platform each year and each session. Regressive alcohol legislation and state policies will be opposed.
• We shall maintain unity around our core principles of alcohol prevention and recovery, and reflect our respect for the diversity of communities, languages and voices at the state and local levels.
• While Alcohol Justice will be the fiscal sponsor and initial organizing staff, we also recognize and encourage broad capacity building of organizations and agencies.
• We shall organize city, county and state efforts for true power to the people. Neighborhoods and youth voices are needed to confront the combined power of the alcohol industry, which is led by global alcohol corporations,wholesalers, retailers and their advertising firms.
• Issue Action Committees will be created to guide our policies, goals and campaigns.