San Francisco Supes Consider Fee On Alcoholic Drinks

A San Francisco Supervisors committee is considering a proposal to charge a new fee on alcoholic beverages to help cover the costs of alcohol related health care.

Supporters said it would only add about a nickle to the cost of a the average drink, but bar owners put the figure closer to fifty cents or even a dollar per drink.

Because of the way the proposal is written, it could be have an impact on brewpubs that make and then sell their own product.

"The customer is going to choose to drink in Oakland or Sonoma or Napa or wherever, but why here?" asks Ron Silberstein, owner of the Thirsty Bear Brewery. "How special is San Francisco at the end of the day when we're all scrimping and saving?"

Supporters of the fee said San Francisco is spending $17 million annually to pick up, care for, and rehabilitate alcohol abusers. They contend it's fair that those who sell and consume alcoholic drinks pay part of that tab.

Because it's a fee rather than a tax, voters don't have to approve the plan.

If the fee is eventually approved by the Board of Supervisors, members of the hospitality industry said they will challenge it in the courts.