March 15, 2024/Midnight 

Miami Beach has allegedly decided to “break up” with spring breakers this year. But does this mean there won’t be any more trips to Miami for college students in March? Well, not exactly. 

If you have not already seen it by now, Miami Beach has decided to break up with spring breakers in their new ad campaign. The island city, situated between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, which has become famously known for its spring break shenanigans decided to crack down crime and put in place some new safety measures to ensure the safety of all travelers and residents alike.  

Officials from the Miami Beach local government have made a few fun posts to their social media platforms in which they announced they would be “breaking up” with the about half a million annual college students, who decide to make the trek from the universities to the Florida city every March.  

According to their new ad video, that has since gone viral, and the City of Miami Beach official website, this year city officials are putting in place strict curfews, bag checks, restricted beach access, DUI checkpoints, $100 parking, and a stronger police presence to enforce laws against drug use and violence, among other precautions that will be enacted during the spring break season.  

These ads come due to the numerous threats to public health and safety from previous years. Every year, Miami Beach and surrounding areas see a massive spike in drug related deaths and gun violence during the spring break season. In the 2023 spring break season alone, the area saw 2 deadly shootings and 488 arrests, according to NBC6 South Florida.  

In an interview with Ayesha Rascoe for NPR, Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez stated in regard to the spring breakers still making the trip down to the southern Florida coastal city, “Well, we want them to show up. We want lawful individuals who want to come and enjoy Miami Beach.”  

Fernandez continues later explaining, “If we allow the loss of life and bloodshed that occurs during two weekends of March to become associated with the brand and image of our city, well, that hurts the economy. That hurts people’s ability to come back to our city. So, we want to make sure that these two weekends – that we redefine them.”  

But the question still stands: should Miami Beach cut ties with spring breakers once and for all?  

Personally, I believe the answer is no.  

Although the South Beach area sees a dramatic increase of crime and dangerous antics put on by visitors, primarily during these 2 weekends in the month of March, there is still an upside to the influx of visitors for the local restaurant and business owners in the area.  

According to Local10.com, The Baked Bear, a custom local ice cream shop in Miami, looks forward to the extra foot traffic and has been preparing themselves for when the spring breakers arrive. “We’re definitely expecting a lot of crowds this week and next weekend for sure,” states Trevin Revell on behalf of The Baked Bear. “We stocked up on supplies and some more team members to help us out for the weekend.” 

Also, if Miami Beach decides to completely shut down and turn away spring breakers (which will most likely never be a reality) the violence and chaos will simply just move to another city, either within the state of Florida or one of the other states that experiences decent weather during the month of March.