Ohio House Commerce and Labor Committee — Prevention Action Alliance (November 17, 2021)

Summary

Shayna Fritz, Advocacy and Public Policy Coordinator for Prevention Action Alliance (PAA), gives written opponent testimony dated November 17, 2021, to the Ohio House Commerce and Labor Committee on Sub-Senate Bill 102. The testimony describes PAA as a 33-year-old statewide nonprofit organization based in Columbus, Ohio. It states that research has shown an expansion of operating hours even by two hours from 2 am to 4 am will lead to increased alcohol harm. It also objects to the revision of DORAs social media use, stating that industries that profit from the sale of addictive substances have historically misused advertising practices to market to children.

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“Ohio House Commerce and Labor Committee — Prevention Action Alliance (November 17, 2021).” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2021-11-17-commerce-labor-testimony-sb102opfritzwritten-f580dd49e7/, SHA-256 890980be41cab0e597db1b7fc58f2c4261a7815c2d2eb31b2c20ffe049ca6814.

Full text

Ohio House
Commerce and Labor Committee
Prevention Action Alliance
November 17, 2021

Good morning, Chairman Stein, Vice Chair Johnson, Ranking Member Lepore-Hagan, and
members of the House Commerce and Labor Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to
provide written testimony as an opponent on Sub-Senate Bill 102.

My name is Shayna Fritz, and I am the Advocacy and Public Policy Coordinator for Prevention Action
Alliance (PAA). PAA is a 33-year-old statewide nonprofit organization based in Columbus, Ohio. We are
dedicated to leading healthy communities in the prevention of substance misuse and the promotion of
mental health wellness. PAA offers a wealth of resources, training services, grants, and advocacy
opportunities for those who are active in the prevention and mental health fields.

As with other pieces of alcohol-related legislation we want to make sure that any expansion in sales or
access is accompanied by consumer protections, so our most vulnerable populations are considered. If
we are going to put in place a long-lasting expansion of alcohol rules and regulations, we would like to
ensure that protections are not neglected as it is far more difficult to implement rules once a piece of
legislation is passed.

The issues we have with this bill are as follows.

Expansion of Hours

• Research has shown that an expansion of operating hours even by two hours from 2 am
to 4 am will lead to increased alcohol harm. Alcohol-related harms include
hospitalizations/emergency department visits, homicides, and crime1, which is why the

1 Sanchez-Ramirez DC, Voaklander D. The impact of policies regulating alcohol trading hours and days on specific alcohol-related
harms: a systematic review. Inj Prev. 2018;24(1):94-100. doi:10.1136/injuryprev-2016-042285.2 Hahn RA, Kuzara JL, Elder R, et al.
Effectiveness of policies restricting hours of alcohol sales in preventing excessive alcohol consumption and related harms. American
Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2010;39(6):590–604.3 Task Force on Community Services. Recommendations on maintaining limits
on days and hours of sale of alcoholic beverages to prevent excessive alcohol consumption and related harms. 2010;39(6):605-6
Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends that hours and days of alcohol
sales should be maintained not expanded.2,3
• In other words, this bill expands availability of a substance while defunding the very
entities that are tasked with handling the negative consequences that result from it.
Revision of DORAs

Social Media Use

• Industries that profit from the sale of addictive substances have historically misused advertising
practices to market to children.
• Allowing this tool to be used by alcohol distributors, manufactures, trade marketing
professionals, solicitors, or brokers of alcoholic beverages will create increased risk to our youth
if the proper advertising guidelines are not in place.

It’s clear that when this sub-bill was drafted not an ounce of public health data or research was
considered. Passing this bill, the way it is currently written, during a time when alcohol consumption is
up, and behavioral health issues are on the rise, is dangerous and will harm our communities. This is not
hyperbole, this is not conjecture, this is fact, and I hope that this committee shares my concern for the
health of Ohioans.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide written testimony as an opponent. If there are any questions
about what I’ve written here today, I welcome anyone to email me at
sfritz@preventionactionalliance.org.

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