Drinking alcohol outdoors in Fort Lauderdale’s entertainment districts is now against the law.
Commissioners approved the measure at a meeting Tuesday night, following two recent shootings that led to some public outcry.
One shooting in the Himmarshee area in December left five people hospitalized, and a 17-year-old was shot and killed on New Year’s Eve near Beach Place and A1A, another entertainment district.
Mayor Dean Trantalis believes eliminating open containers on the streets and banning outdoor alcohol sales should make a difference when it comes to public safety.
“Kids were coming there and they were having tailgate parties in the parking garages and on the streets and a lot of underage drinking was taking place, and we think this will curb that,” Trantalis said.
Fort Lauderdale had been somewhat unique in letting people buy alcohol and walk the streets with it.
Not everyone agrees with the change.
“One problem I find with the no drinks outside is that if I have a drink and I am leaving a club and they tell me I can’t take it, I have to slam that drink, so therefore I will actually be more drunk because I am a slow drinker,” one barhopper said.
Meanwhile, commissioners also gave the green light to a makeover on Las Olas Boulevard, approving a plan for wider sidewalks, eliminating the median, and adding lanes for parking and traffic.
One stretch will see black olive trees removed, something Trantalis and others disagree with.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.nbcmiami.com ’
