Florida
Couple standing on the car at the beach. Drinking beer and dancing. Wearing casual summer clothing, hat and sunglasses. Enjoying in sunset by the sea.

Meanwhile in Florida: Gainesville Considering Open Container Laws to Allow Public Drinking Because That’s What Florida Needs, More Alcohol

If there’s one thing Florida doesn’t need more of, it’s alcohol. But that might be exactly what it’s going to get if Gainesville officials succeed at their latest efforts.

A city commission plans to vote about allowing open drinking on city property or right of way. If members vote yes, and the measure makes it through another commission approval, the change would take effect.

The move to get Gainesville residents all liquored up didn’t come out of nowhere; rather, the measure is an offshoot of a similar ordinance, which allowed businesses to serve customers booze outdoors and in public, passed last September to help offset losses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve had open container for a year now and there haven’t been any issues,” said Commissioner Adrian Hayes-Santos. “And we shouldn’t have laws on the books that are there just to mess with people. We have laws currently for drunk and disorderly, for disorderly conduct, so if you do something that is a negative impact to society, then we can take action.”

Police report issuing around 60 public drinking citations prior to the temporary ordinance’s approval. Whether that number will drop – or be eliminated altogether – with the new measure is unknown, but we can only imagine the trouble Floridians will get in once drinking restrictions are a thing of the past. One thing’s for sure: the Sunshine State isn’t getting any tamer anytime soon.

Cover Photo: svetikd (Getty Images)

MORE NEWS:

TRENDING
No content yet. Check back later!

X