SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown announced two ordinances to establish a Community Health Impact area downtown.
The first ordinance establishes an Alcohol Impact Area (AIA). The city said this area is designed to help with illegal activity linked to the off-premises sale and consumption of alcohol. An AIA has been in place before but was repealed by an old administration.
This ordinance would also prevent the sale of single-serve containers.
“Re-establishing an Alcohol Impact Area is an important step toward addressing some of the root causes of crime within downtown Spokane,” Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall said. “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.”
The city said although crime in downtown Spokane is down over the past year, alcohol-related incidents in the area have increased significantly.
The second ordinance would restrict the sale and distribution of smoking paraphernalia like glass pipes and foils unless the seller also provides naloxone for free.
The Spokane Fire Department will also offer quarterly naloxone trainings for downtown businesses.
“These targeted emphasis areas help create safer and healthier neighborhoods. Through these ordinances, we are working to improve overall public health, enhance safety, and address long-standing inequities that disproportionately impact vulnerable communities,” Mayor Brown said.
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