Alcohol and Your City: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

 Does the traffic collision data only includes residents of the specific cities?

• No, the OTS traffic data utilized in this report is for all alcohol-involved collisions that occur within City limits.How was the Youth Field Survey data collected?Staff from the following agencies personally surveyed youth (12-17), young adults (18-24) and adults (25+) in each respective community. Locations ranged from shopping districts to transit stops and schools/colleges.

How was the Youth Field Survey data collected?

• Staff from the following agencies personally surveyed youth (12-17), young adults (18-24) and adults (25+) in each respective community. Locations ranged from shopping districts to transit stops and schools/colleges.

How can cities improve their grades?

• Cities can employ a number of different educational and policy practices to mitigate the negative externalities of alcohol use. For example, a community with a very high rate of DUI collisions could utilize this data to apply for additional funding for enforcement activities. Cities with rates of retailer density in specific neighborhoods or in the community as a whole can limit/halt the issuance of new alcohol licenses. 

How were the grading scales determined? 

• Grades were determined by selecting indicators that we felt covered a wide range of alcohol related impacts, and comparing them through scales based on averages set by each of the assessed cities. In other words, all 26 cities were compared against one another and the best averages set the bar for the best grades. Scales were set by the best averages and spread in a manner that was inclusive of all the represented grades. 

Where/How can I access the data that you used in the report? 

• Traffic Collision Data - CA Office of Traffic Safety: http://www.ots.ca.gov/ 
• Current Teen Alcohol Use - CA Healthy Kids Survey Data: http://chks.wested.org/ 
• On/Off Premise Alcohol Retailer Density - CA Dept. of Alcoholic Beverage Control: http://www.abc.ca.gov/

Who are the members of RAD?

• RAD was founded by 6 agencies: Day One, Jewish Family Services, Los Angeles County Office of Education, National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependency, Pasadena Public Health Department, Pacific Clinics, and Prototypes.
  

Who do I contact if I need recommendations for my city? 

• If you are a city official, representative, civil servant or part of a relevant organization or group, please contact Luis Gutierrez with all inquiries related specific recommendations for specific cities based on the findings of this report. 

When will the next Report Card be produced? 

• The release of an updated Report Card is planned for 2015.

My city isn't in the report, how can I figure out similar grades for my city?

• Almost all the information utilized to compile this report is publically available online (e.g., alcohol-involved collision data is available via California Office of Traffic Safety).
  

Why did you leave some communities out such as Bradbury and Irwindale?

• Cities with very small populations (e.g., Industry - 220 persons), insufficient data (e.g., Bradbury), unincorporated communities (e.g., Altadena) and/or other limiting factors were not included in the report for quality control reasons.
  

Are there similar report cards for other regions in California?

• RAD coalition members are not aware of any similar reports in the state. However, other regions have already expressed an interest in undertaking a similar analysis.
  

I don't like my city's grade. What can I do? 

• There are many options available. RAD recommends that cities focus primarily on the recommendations listed in the "Recommendations" section of the report. Our recommendations may address many of the issues that resulted in poor individual grades. If you are a local resident, try getting in contact with your local officials and bring to their attention specific issues listed in this report.