Opinion: The Deadly Consequences of Allowing Extended Alcohol Sales at Inglewood’s Intuit Dome

Since 2013, we have witnessed numerous iterations of bills to extend alcohol sales in California to 4 a.m. This issue has triggered grave concerns and objections by our Los Angeles South Bay residents to the impact on our lives, property, and associated costs resulting from alcohol-impaired collisions and accidents.

• Intuit Dome sponsors bill to allow after-hours alcohol sales at venue

Assembly Bill 3206 resurrects the 4 a.m. issue, and with it, our fears of runaway alcohol harm in the City of Inglewood. By creating an all-night drinking zone for “members of a private club,” who are assessed “dues in order to be in and gain access to the club,” the bill seems to be part of an intentional strategy to capitalize on Inglewood’s burgeoning status as a sports and entertainment center, drawing attendees from all over the county with the promise of never-ending alcohol consumption. The risks are not theoretical; they are well-documented and alarming. Drinking until 4 a.m. creates conditions where exhaustion and alcohol combine to become more deadly in combination.

• This creates an immediate threat to Inglewood residents starting an early shift or ending a late one, as dangerously inebriated drivers leaving these 4 a.m. alcohol venues fan out into the normally placid dawn commute. Research shows drunk drivers travel an average of 7 miles after their last drink, meaning no part of Inglewood would be safe.

Aside from a direct threat to others, this burst of dangerous driving threatens massive traffic jams during early commute hours if involved in drunk driving collisions between 4 a.m. and 5:30 a.m.

Last call times are also associated with increased numbers of assaults on the street, accidental injuries, and other forms of violence that disrupt communities—both on the street and in the home.

• This is a life and cost burden that Inglewood and surrounding cities will bear. The yearly expected cost of alcohol-related harm from AB 3206 to the neighboring towns of Inglewood could be upwards of $440,000 a year, a significant economic burden.
• The annual estimated cost of crash deaths to the state involving alcohol-impaired drivers alone totaled about $2 billion in 2020. These costs included emergency response services, medical expenses and cost estimates for lives lost. This does not include the damage inflicted on city and personal property caused by alcohol-related accidents.

• “Private club members” are not exempted from these risks—in fact, they may be more likely to create them. Higher-income individuals are more likely to drink dangerously, making them more liable to perpetuate the dangers of extended last-call times.

• According to California’s Department of Public Health, between 2015 and 2021, the state saw an estimated alcohol-related death toll rise by 8,000 per year, to a staggering total of 19,335 annual deaths. This increase will likely continue with extended last-call times. We cannot ignore the practical concerns that arise when inebriated travelers and local commuters cross paths on our streets, especially when these tragedies are preventable

The safety of our community is at stake, and the risks associated with allowing bars and clubs to stay open until 4 a.m. are real. They will have far-reaching consequences for the residents of Inglewood and its surrounding communities. A 4 a.m. last call anywhere in L.A, is a threat to all of L.A.

We’ve provided a map to illustrate the potential impact of what this means to neighboring cities surrounding Inglewood.

Please see the “splash map” below.

For more information, please contact  Inglewood Prevention, Asian American Drug Abuse Program (AADAP) and Los Angeles Drug and Alcohol Policy Alliance (LA DAPA)

Inglewood Prevention

Facebook:       facebook.com/inglewoodprevention

Instagram:       @inglewoodprevention

Los Angeles Drug and Alcohol Policy Alliance (LA DAPA)

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @losangelesdapa