WSFA 12 News Montgomery, AL |Dothan clubs skirting alcohol laws

Dothan clubs skirting alcohol laws

Posted by: Daniel Curtis - bio | email

DOTHAN, AL (WSFA) - Bring your own Beer. Some Dothan businesses are using the practice to get around liquor laws.

State alcoholic control agents are concerned by it, and pointed it out to city leaders. Now the city of Dothan is contemplating a crackdown.

Before a club or business can sell alcohol in Alabama they have to be granted a liquor license from the state.

However, some businesses in Dothan are working around the law.

"They're opening as byob," says Mike West, Dothan's City Manager.

These clubs are opening up anyway, selling everything but the alcohol.

"Without a prohibition it's hard to go in and enforce anything related to alcohol," says West.

To help curb the issue the city is looking into a new ordinance that would prohibit byob at clubs, as well as prohibit open containers outside of clubs.

"Provide some restrictions on people drinking outside of establishments and to control some of the problems associated with that," adds West.

But not every business that allows byob is causing problems, which is why the city's proposed ordinance would allow the practice to continue in some places on a permit basis.

"We don't serve alcohol but know we don't prevent our guests from bringing alcohol," said Ron Wilson, a hotel owner.

"Now we don't change anybody who is doing business legitimately," added West.

The city commission will spend another month fine tuning the law before bringing it up for a vote.

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