OAN’s Abril Elfi
4:08 PM – Thursday, March 28, 2024
California Assembly Bill 1013 was passed by the state legislature. The bill states that bars and other establishments that serve liquor holding a type 48 license must provide drink tests that can identify common date rape drugs.
Type 48 liquor licenses are “issued to bars and nightclubs. It authorizes the sale of beer, wine, and distilled spirits for consumption on the premises where sold. It authorizes the sale of beer and wine for consumption off the premises where sold. Minors are not allowed to enter and remain. Food service is not required. This license type is subject to Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) requirements and requires alcohol servers and managers of alcohol servers to be RBS certified,” according to abc.ca.gov
Starting July 1st, the new law will require bars and nightclubs to provide drug test tools as well as signage warning about “drink spiking.”
The required signage will read “Don’t get roofied! Drink spiking drug test kits available here. Ask a staff member for details.”
“These kits must test for controlled substances commonly used to spike drinks. The licensees can either choose to provide these kits at no cost or they can be sold at a reasonable amount, not to exceed the wholesale cost,” said Devin Blankenship of the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
According to the state, the new law will have an impact on about 2,400 businesses in California. Businesses must provide test strips to consumers upon request, either at no cost or a very low fee.
Test strips have been available on the market now for a few years and are frequently given out at U.S. military bases, colleges, and universities.
According to reports, State Assembly member Josh Lowenthal, who also owns three restaurants, introduced the bill in order to prevent sexual assault.
“We have a crisis that’s taking place that’s resulting in sexual assault, that’s targeting primarily women and members of the LGBTQ communities,” Lowenthal said in a video presentation to the assembly. He is a father to three daughters and said the crime is underreported. “By way of example, I have members of my staff that have been roofied, members of the legislative body that have been roofied.”
California is now the first state to enact such a law.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts