PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. -- Alcohol is legal again on Panama City Beach after the month-long ban ended on Friday.
Bay County officials banned alcohol on the beach during Spring Break after many alcohol-related incidents the past couple years.
Going dry on the beach did have an effect. While law enforcement officials saw reductions in crime, hotel reservations were down more than 50 percent. Businesses also reported sales down anywhere from 50 to 85 percent.
According to The News-Herald, Panama City police responded to 6,409 calls for service and made a combined 547 arrests. For the six weeks of Spring Break last year, they responded to 13,301 calls for service and made 1,332 arrests.
