73 Arrests in Underage Drinking Crackdown in Manatee

More than 73 arrests were made during a five-week operation aimed at preventing youth from purchasing and using alcohol, tobacco and synthetic drugs during spring break, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office said Thursday.

"Operation Dry Spring" included 33 arrests for underage alcohol sales in Manatee from March 4 to April 7. More than 5,000 arrests statewide during the operation, which was held in conjunction with the Florida Sheriffs Task Force.

"At the heart of Operation Dry Spring was the goal of preventing potential emergency-related incidents linked to alcohol and drug use," the sheriff's office said in a media release. "In 2010, nearly 190,000 individuals under the age of 21 visited an emergency room for injuries or conditions connected to underage drinking. In addition, the use of synthetic drugs such as bath salts and spice is on the rise with more than 7,000 reported incidents in 2011, compared to some 3,000 in 2010."

Sign up for the Bradenton Patch email newsletter to get our top headlines delivered straight to your inbox so you won't miss a thing!