A recent example involved Stephanie Walls who was allowed to drink in a bar in Jacksonville, Florida called Rockets. Later that same night Walls was killed when the car she was a passenger in crashed into a tree “and the 19 year old driver was charged with vehicular manslaughter after registering a blood alcohol limit of .07.” The owner of the bar and three employees were arrested and charged with distributing to underage drinkers.
Alcohol Beverages and Tobacco Division Director Steven Hougland said “Florida has made five arrests in Jacksonville, with cases pending in Tampa and Tallahassee.” The Florida program under Hougland is in need of more funding in order to hire additional staff.
According to a survey from the Office of Drug Control, “In Florida, alcohol is the most abused drug among underage kids” and “More than 56 percent of students reported lifetime use and 30 percent said they drank in the past 30 days.”
