Spring break is a college rite of passage synonymous with beaches, bikini-clad babes, and binge drinking. However, it’s no secret that excessive alcohol consumption can lend itself to a dangerous environment for these vacationers, including reckless behavior, violence, and sexual assault. No one knows these kinds of dangers better than the residents of the spring break capital of the world, Panama City Beach, which is why their city council members have voted to make a change next year by banning beach drinking during spring break.

Panama City Beach bans #springbreak drinking. Should others follow? http://t.co/DLZCjfJ6BR pic.twitter.com/D9lHTh9ONn

— The News-Press (@TheNewsPress) May 14, 2015

According to the News Herald, the Panama City Beach City Council voted last week to ban drinking all together on the beach next March despite its expected negative effect on business owners. The measure has been deemed a much-needed crackdown on out of control spring break partying that has negatively impacted the city.

Case in point, this year seven people were shot and wounded at house party. Then in April, police released a censored video of girl passed out on the Florida beach getting gang raped in broad daylight while crowds of bystanders watched. Even though most of the girl’s body had been blurred, a young woman watching the video recognized her tattoos and contacted authorities. The girl in the video was believed to have been drugged before the assault occurred. What’s even more disturbing is this isn’t the first time something like that incident has happened there. Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen said they’ve recovered a number of videos similar in nature. Ruth Corley, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office, commented on the incident via social media saying,

We have been able to find video of girls, incoherent and passed out, and almost like they are drugged, being assaulted on the beaches of Panama City in front of a bunch of people standing around.

This move is in addition to 17 other measures approved last year to tone down the city’s Spring Break celebrations. These changes are expected to cause a dramatic drop in revenue for the $200 million-plus economy that the tourism provides, but owners see it as worth the risk while hoping for an increase in more family-friendly tourists.

As someone who’s personally made the 800-something mile pilgrimage there from my college town of Athens, Ohio, with a group of my best friends, I can tell you that I’m not at all surprised by how out of control it has gotten there. Much of what I thought were spring break myths were proved realities during my short stay there. Even though this initiative will likely anger prospective spring breakers, working to prevent occurrences of violence and sexual assault is much more important.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

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