Life, liberty “” and litter. Alcohol on the Fourth of July has long been a source of debate, but San Diegans on both sides of the drinking divide agree that the trash beachgoers leave behind is a growing problem.
Park and Recreation staff and volunteers from the Surfrider Foundation, I Love a Clean San Diego (ILACSD) and the community removed more than 200 tons of trash from the beaches and bays after this year’s celebration.
"Litter, not alcohol, is the real problem," said Jeremy Malecha, executive director of freepb.org, a Pacific Beach-based group committed to keeping alcohol legal on area beaches and bays.
Other residents believe that alcohol consumption and litter are linked.
Arguing in favor of an alcohol ban on local beaches at a recent Pacific Beach Town Council (PBTC) meeting, PBTC member Judith Bomberger referred to a July 5 picture of a beach strewn with litter and overflowing trash receptacles.
Beaches that don’t allow alcohol, from Santa Cruz to Wilmington, N.C., also have problems with litter, contends Malecha.
"If you think banning alcohol is going to solve problems on beaches, you’re oblivious to the reality," he said. "The problem is the 1.5 million people who bring in trash."
Many residents and community activists believe that empty beer cans and boxes left behind by irresponsible drinkers account for the bulk of holiday litter.
Responsibility is crucial to solving the litter problem, Malecha said. "We’re trying to create an accountability mindset," he said. "It’s in everyone’s best interest to pack up your own stuff."
Freepb.org donated 120 cardboard boxes to be distributed along Sail Bay and other high-density areas on the Fourth.
Thirty freepb.org volunteers also passed out 10,000 trash bags. As part of the 6 p.m. Pick Me Up, holiday beachgoers who brought a full trash bag to Pacific Beach Drive, Thomas Street or Fanuel Street received a free Sobe energy drink.
"We had a lot of good feedback," said Malecha. "We’re trying to be proactive instead of reactive."
He hopes to expand the program next year to include Labor Day and Memorial Day.
Malecha also plans to focus on educating the public. Freepb.org’s July Fourth trash boxes outlined beach rules such as no alcohol after 8 p.m., no couches on the beach, and no alcohol on the boardwalk.
Many visitors to the beach, especially those from out of town, don’t know the rules and "become another statistic unintentionally," Malecha said. A simple act, such as setting a beer on the boardwalk, becomes a criminal act, he said, because people don’t know any better.
Data on arrests and citations from the long holiday weekend are not yet available. Arrests were down from last year, according to Sgt. Tom Rizzo of the San Diego Police Department’s (SDPD) Northern Division. Alcohol after 8 p.m. accounted for most of the estimated 100 citations officers issued, Rizzo said.
The cost of enforcement is too high, said Al Strohlein of Crown Point. The city pays about $1 million for roughly 300 police officers on July Fourth. That money could go toward protecting the community throughout the year, Strohlein said.
Others such as honorary mayor Karl Jaedtke believe the city would have to spend that much regardless of alcohol, due to the size of the crowds that visit local beaches and bays.
Pacific Beach wouldn’t attract so many visitors if alcohol were illegal, according to PBTC and Pacific Beach Community Planning member Catherine Strohlein. She believes that beach alcohol bans in Del Mar and La Jolla drove drinkers to Pacific Beach.
The PBTC’s July newsletter included a mail-in ballot on the alcohol ban. The results have not yet been announced.
While the decision probably won’t be the last round in the alcohol debate, Malecha believes the community can work together to keep the beaches and bays trash-free. "If we could just set aside our differences and focus on litter, we could make a real difference in 2007," he said.