New Haven denies juice-bar permits for Halloween

New Haven has adopted new restrictions on “juice bars,” venues or designated areas where minors attend events while alcohol may be served elsewhere in the establishment. The rules bar new juice bars, require existing operators to obtain special-event permits, cap underage patrons at 10% of a venue’s capacity, and raise escalating fines to $2,500, $5,000 and $10,000. No event permits will be issued for Halloween weekend, and police plan increased patrols as officials cite fights, assaults, underage drinking and other incidents associated with past events. The crackdown follows a deadly shooting at a downtown Halloween gathering last year that killed 18-year-old Alexa Acevedo; city leaders say the measures are intended to improve public safety.