letitia-stein

By Letitia Stein PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) – A tradition of around-the-clock spring break partying has drawn Lance Granata to this small Florida Gulf Coast town three times. The Michigan student ran afoul of a new community effort to tamp down on the debauchery that comes with being a leading collegiate spring break destination, without breaking up a lucrative party. He was arrested for smashing a window at a Subway store and for underage drinking, which he considered “beyond ridiculous.” Like previous Florida spring break hot spots Fort Lauderdale and Daytona Beach, this Panhandle town is facing a crisis of conscience over the trade-offs involved in hosting a binge for some 300,000 students who arrive through mid-April with coolers, beer funnels and credit cards. Unwilling to evict spring break, a crucial season in a community where tourism brings in more than $1 billion annually, the city has passed new rules to counter the worst excesses.