(The Center Square) – Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown proposed two ordinances on Thursday that could make it illegal to buy a can of beer, other single-serve alcohol containers and smoking paraphernalia.
The first measure would establish an Alcohol Impact Area, or AIA, within the Spokane Police Department’s downtown precinct, about 2% of the city geographically. According to a news release, the AIA would replace another “inadvertently repealed by the former administration.”
Brown’s ordinance intends to mitigate crime linked to the sale and consumption of alcohol from off-premises locations, such as liquor, grocery and convenience stores. If approved, buying single-serving containers within the AIA would be illegal.
“Reestablishing an Alcohol Impact Area is an important step toward addressing some of the root causes of crime within downtown Spokane,” Police Chief Kevin Hall wrote in the release. “Our data shows that when the previous downtown AIA was in place, it was directly correlated with a lower rate of alcohol-related calls for service.”
While people often think of drugs and alcohol as separate, a 2021 study in Baltimore found that each off-premises retailer was associated with a 16.6% rise in the neighborhood overdose rate.
Hall presented earlier this month, showing that about 70% of the city’s drug offenses occur within SPD’s downtown precinct boundaries, which is only about 2% of Spokane. Meanwhile, alcohol-related incidents alone are up 64% over the last three years, according to the release.
Other studies show that off-premises retailers disproportionately set up shop in low-income, minority communities. According to the release, Spokane’s Riverside neighborhood has three locations for every 1,000 residents, half of whom live below the federal poverty line.
Brown’s second ordinance would make it illegal to sell and distribute smoking paraphernalia unless the seller also provides naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, free of charge.
According to the Bureau of Justice Assistance National Training and Technical Assistance Center, a single naloxone kit costs $22 to $60, but that doesn’t include training or personnel costs; regardless, the medication alone is typically more expensive than a pipe and foil.
“These targeted emphasis areas help create safer and healthier neighborhoods,” Brown wrote in the release. “Through these ordinances, we are working to improve overall public health, enhance safety, and address long-standing inequities that disproportionately impact vulnerable communities.”
While the sale of smoking paraphernalia, such as glass pipes and foil, is typically legal, the substances they’re used to consume, such as fentanyl, are not. Still, downtown is often a fast track to witnessing homelessness, addiction and other issues with mental and behavioral health.
Earlier this month, Hall said the city’s CORE plan only resulted in 13 service provider referrals among the 143 people contacted downtown during the first 30 or so days. All 143 accounted for nearly 2,200 local arrests in their lifetimes, and around half made up 93% of the arrests.
“A very small number of individuals creating a large number of crimes,” he said at the time.
