Latest news with #AssemblyBill2375
San Francisco Chronicle
03-07-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
California bars now legally required to offer lids for drinks
California bars must now provide lids for drinks upon request, a measure intended to prevent drinks from being spiked with drugs. The law, Assembly Bill 2375, which took effect Tuesday, builds on existing legislation requiring bars to offer drug testing strips. Assembly Member Josh Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, introduced both bills. The new requirement applies to bars and nightclubs with Type 48 liquor licenses, which serve beer, wine and liquor, but not food. Violating it carries no penalty, just a warning for a first offense, and the requirement sunsets in 2027. The law was endorsed by alcohol watchdog groups like Alcohol Justice, and passed unanimously. But Bay Area bar operators told the Chronicle they were skeptical of it. The new lid requirement is not expected to be much of a financial burden for the Bay Area's bar operators. (The law also authorizes bars to charge an additional fee for the lids.) But Roxzann De Marco, owner of popular dive bar the Rumpus Room, said her business already offered lids, which she called inexpensive without mentioning a specific price. De Marco also said putting a coaster or napkin over drinks has been a common practice among women at bars for as long as she can remember. While she does support measures to ensure bar goers feel safe, she called the new law a 'bandage' for a problem that requires a deeper solution at a personal and social level. 'I'm not getting on a soapbox or anything, but could we just not roofie each other instead?' she said. Ben Bleiman, founder of the San Francisco Bar Owners Alliance, an organization of 300 local bars, also questioned the effectiveness of the new law. 'You can get 500 lids on Amazon for 50 bucks, but they won't actually do anything,' he said. The requirement follows Assembly Bill 1013, passed in 2023, which required bars and nightclubs to offer drug testing kits for patrons starting last year. The bill also required bars to display clearly visible signs reading 'Don't get roofied! Drink spiking drug test kits available here.' The new law also requires such signs to include mentions of drink lids. Bleiman is critical of the previous requirement. He worries about the accuracy of test strips, and he called the tone of the signs victim-blaming. 'The real problem is the predators that don't seem to be mentioned there,' Bleiman said. At Rumpus Room, De Marco has only handed out a couple of test kits. She said she hopes the new law can offer some peace of mind, but she doesn't expect the lids to be a big hit.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Do you want to cover your cocktail to keep it from getting spiked? California bars must offer lids
California bars and nightclubs already are required to post conspicuous signs letting customers know that drug-testing kits are available. Now they have to keep a stack of lids handy — one more method for protecting patrons from drinks that have been drugged. A new Assembly bill that went into effect Tuesday requires any establishment in the state where alcohol is sold for on-site consumption to have lids at the ready upon customer request. Bar and nightclub owners in Los Angeles whom The Times spoke with seemed unfazed by the change, which they described as an 'insignificant' cost for the safety of patrons. A spokesperson for the Mother Lode in West Hollywood said that the only difference in operations was a stack of plastic lids at the end of the bar, which will be provided for free. 'There weren't lids here before and now they are,' they said. 'Not much has changed; it doesn't cost nothing.' Assembly Bill 2375, written by Rep. Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), was supported by LGBTQ+ and alcohol safety organizations, such as the California Alcohol Policy Alliance and the Sacramento LGBT Community Center. The legislation builds on a previous bill that went into effect last year. AB 1013 — also written by Lowenthal, who previously ran a nightclub — requires the display of 'prominent' signage informing patrons that they can ask for a drug-testing kit. AB 2375 passed unanimously last year through the House and Senate chambers. Establishments must display a sign that says, 'Don't get roofied! Drink spiking drug test kits available here. Ask a staff member for details." According to the bill, there is no requirement to provide a lid unless requested by the customer. There is an option for establishments, however, to charge a 'reasonable' price for a lid if they choose. The law will be enforced by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which issues liquor licenses for bars and nightclubs in California. Failure to comply with this and last year's bill could affect an establishment's liquor license, according to the department. But a spokesperson said for now there will be no 'special' enforcement of the new provision. Bars will simply be notified during inspections if they aren't following the law, said Devin Blankenship, a public information officer for the department. Blankenship said the department would focus primarily on educating and notifying license holders about the new legislation. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
02-07-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Do you want to cover your cocktail to keep it from getting spiked? California bars must offer lids
California bars and nightclubs already are required to post conspicuous signs letting customers know that drug-testing kits are available. Now they have to keep a stack of lids handy — one more method for protecting patrons from drinks that have been drugged. A new Assembly bill that went into effect Tuesday requires any establishment in the state where alcohol is sold for on-site consumption to have lids at the ready upon customer request. Bar and nightclub owners in Los Angeles whom The Times spoke with seemed unfazed by the change, which they described as an 'insignificant' cost for the safety of patrons. A spokesperson for the Mother Lode in West Hollywood said that the only difference in operations was a stack of plastic lids at the end of the bar, which will be provided for free. 'There weren't lids here before and now they are,' they said. 'Not much has changed; it doesn't cost nothing.' Assembly Bill 2375, written by Rep. Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), was supported by LGBTQ+ and alcohol safety organizations, such as the California Alcohol Policy Alliance and the Sacramento LGBT Community Center. The legislation builds on a previous bill that went into effect last year. AB 1013 — also written by Lowenthal, who previously ran a nightclub — requires the display of 'prominent' signage informing patrons that they can ask for a drug-testing kit. AB 2375 passed unanimously last year through the House and Senate chambers. Establishments must display a sign that says, 'Don't get roofied! Drink spiking drug test kits available here. Ask a staff member for details.' According to the bill, there is no requirement to provide a lid unless requested by the customer. There is an option for establishments, however, to charge a 'reasonable' price for a lid if they choose. The law will be enforced by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which issues liquor licenses for bars and nightclubs in California. Failure to comply with this and last year's bill could affect an establishment's liquor license, according to the department. But a spokesperson said for now there will be no 'special' enforcement of the new provision. Bars will simply be notified during inspections if they aren't following the law, said Devin Blankenship, a public information officer for the department. Blankenship said the department would focus primarily on educating and notifying license holders about the new legislation.
