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No beach booze allowed during March in Panama City

Panama City Beach
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PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) -- Spring breakers be forewarned: you still can't drink booze in March on the beach in a Florida town seeking to curb rowdy parties.

The Panama City News Herald reports that the month-long ban is paired with a 2 a.m. deadline to buy alcohol anywhere within city limits.

Panama City Police Chief Drew Whitman says zero tolerance policy originally enacted in 2015 has helped the city transition from a national spring break hot-spot to a more family-friendly destination all year long.

Whitman says enforcing the ban includes extra officers on the beach, some on all-terrain vehicles. Violators can be fined or even jailed.