Underage drinking crackdown approved

By Megan Rolland

"Despite protests from a few bar owners, an attorney and University of Florida students, the city of Gainesville now has a mechanism to punish bars that get caught serving "too many" underage patrons."

"The ordinance that passed unanimously Thursday night will prohibit patrons under the age of 21 from entering a bar after 9 p.m. if that bar has exceeded the number of allowable underage drinking violations in any quarter..."

"According to the ordinance, smaller bars with occupancies of less than 200 people would be in violation after having five or more prosecuted underage drinking violations in a three-month period."

"Bars with greater occupancies would be punished after 10 violations..."

Full article available at http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20090206/ARTICLES/902061010