Monday, September 14, 2015

Ban on alcohol sales in Miami Beach


The reality is that at present many businesses specialize in commercializing alcoholic beverages and heavily rely on it order to make profit. At present, the income that most businesses such as supermarkets or restaurants generate is represented by alcohol purchases, whether they like to admit it or not. Not just anyone is allowed to sell wine or beer in the state of Florida and this is when the topic of liquor licenses comes into discussion. In essence, the liquor license is a special permit that gives the business the right to merchandise alcohol such as wine, beer and so on for full-service alcohol establishments. The reason for which the merchandise of beverages is regulated by the authorities is that they desire to have some sort of control over the quantities that are being sold and in order to limit the access to citizens such as children that are not yet of age.
Among the many specifications that a business owner has to comply with is the actual location where beverages can be served. For instance, you are allowed to consume a cocktail inside a bar or have a glass of wine in a restaurant. In addition to this, there are many outdoor locations in warm places like Miami Beach that have been especially set up in order to comply with the needs of clients that desire to take a drink on sidewalks and cafes. As opposed to other counties in the state of Florida that are prohibited from selling alcohol between the hours of 3 a.m. and 7a.m., Miami-Dade County gives liquor stores the possibility of operating at all hours. This is just one of the reasons for which the number of tourists that come to Florida increases each year. However, the world was surprised to find out that the Miami Beach mayor, Philip Levine, gave his consent to the passing of a new bill that prohibits both the sale and the consumption of alcohol in areas such as patios, sidewalks, cafes and many bars between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. The proposal passed from the first reading and the area targeted is Ocean Drive. The main argument is support of this ban is represented by the mayor’s belief that Ocean Drive has developed in recent years into an alarming place owing to the fact that all the night life is concentrated in this spot. By this he referred mainly to the fact that more police resources are needed in order to safeguard the citizens.

Furthermore, city hall has received numerous complaints regarding the behavior of those who consume alcohol in the sense that they have come to disturb the citizens.  Even the studies that have been recently carried indicate that the crime rate is significantly increased in Miami as compared to other cities. On the other hand, there are those who do not fully agree with the imposed ban arguing that the nightlife attracts tourists which is the equivalent of creating job opportunities and giving small business the chance to make some profit. To conclude, while many totally agree with the decision taken by the mayor, others believe that the presence of the police and the impossibility to serve alcohol outdoor will have a significant impact on the local economy.

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