
The scene was one of 'controlled chaos': hundreds of students openly smoking drugs, shot-gunning beer and performing lewd dance moves as the first weekend of Spring Break got underway on Fort Lauderdale's Las Olas Beach.

Others could be seen swigging from bottles of vodka and whiskey or guzzling tequila hidden in water pistols while some had to be helped off the sand after becoming too drunk to stand.

All of that in defiance of a 'zero tolerance policy' towards drugs and alcohol on the beach and a heavy police presence that included K-9 and mounted units.

One local cop told DailyMail.com: 'What you're seeing is controlled chaos. This isn't even a particularly busy day.

'Mostly, what we see is misdemeanor stuff, drunk, fighting stuff. One of them will get out a boom box and they all crowd round it.

'There's definitely drugs – you can smell it in the air – so what we do is take a K-9 through every so often.'

Fort Lauderdale is one of the most popular Spring Break destinations in Florida, with a recent survey putting it in second place after Orlando and its theme park resorts and ahead of nearby Miami.

Spring Break tradition: Hundreds of college students from across the country descended on to Fort Lauderdale's Las Olas Beach to kick off a drug and booze-filled week. Above spring breakers are seen partying with mugs and containers of alcohol in their hands in defiance of the 'zero tolerance policy' towards drugs and alcohol on the beach and a heavy police presence that included K-9 and mounted units

Party all day, party all night: A group of girls pose for the cameras as they hold up their jugs containing some type of alcoholic concoction

Chug, chug, chug: A spring breaker holds up a girl on his shoulders as she guzzles a can of beer into his mouth while friends record the act on their phones

Greek life: Sigma Chi frat boys were seen flying their fraternity letters and hoisting girls up on their shoulders as they partied under the sun

Drunken fun: Chaos ensued all day on Friday with students openly smoking drugs, shot-gunning beer and performing lewd dance moves. Most revelers brought with them speakers or sound systems to blast music in the sand

Ladies' man? One man tried to recreate the photo of himself on his t-shirt by carrying two bikini-clad women over his shoulder

Order: Police said they attempted to create an orderly environment where revelers could still enjoy themselves. 'The thing that is always the catalyst to create issues is alcohol – alcohol is always a big issue when you have a lot of college kids together,' Major Dana Swisher said

It is not certain how this year's festivities will compare to Spring Break last year - which saw a 72 percent increase in police callouts to the beach compared to 2015 – with 131 911-calls during the month of March and 47 arrests

Of the estimated 1.5 million students set to go on vacation this week and the 2.5 million following the week after, approximately 100,000 are expected to descend on the Florida city.

'Honestly the beaches are packed, the party's always down here,' Jen Ella Spader, a 22-year-old student from Florida Atlantic University, told DailyMail.com.

Trent Donohue, 18, of Ohio State University in Cincinnati said: 'It's the place to be – it's all I've heard all year.'

His friend Jack Raare, 20, added: 'It's the college spot.'

But while a slice of the estimated $1billion that Spring Break is thought to be worth to the US economy as a whole is welcome, the party comes at a price for police budgets and city residents.

Last year's revelry resulted in a 72 percent increase in police callouts to the beach compared to 2015 – with 131 911-calls during the month of March and 47 arrests.

On Friday alone, DailyMail.com witnessed eight incidents in which kids were hauled off the beach or cited for drug and alcohol possession within the space of 30 minutes.

Earlier, a mounted police unit was seen charging into the crowd after an empty can was thrown at one of the horses.

Another drunken boy was told 'want to go to jail?' after he snuck up on a police horse and touched its backside for a dare.

Police records show that 19 people were arrested in total on Friday – most for disorderly conduct and being found with weed and cocaine – compared to 35 during the preceding week as a whole.

By 6pm on Saturday, another 12 had been hauled off to jail – the majority for possessing cannabis or cocaine, with prescription drugs also noted by police.

Spring break forever: Revelers found ways around the no alcohol policy, hiding tequila and other spirits inside water guns. One bikini-clad blonde is seen taking a shot from a water pistol

College: Revelers hold up their red plastic cups and bagged wine

Mike Cascio, Chelsea Nielsen, and Meghan Booski share a giant fishbowl on the sand despite the fact that there is no alcohol consumption permitted on Las Olas beach

Party over here: Crowds got even more rowdy when they blasted music on the beach. 'One of them will get out a boom box and they all crowd round it,' a cop said

The majority of kids are busted for possessing cannabis or cocaine, with prescription drugs also noted by police. Above two girls pose for a picture

Students Madison Kaleward (middle) and Montana Rial (left dance in front of their audience on the Fort Lauderdale beach

Major Dana Swisher, 45, oversees the annual Spring Break policing operation in Fort Lauderdale and told DailyMail.com that he spends much of March fielding complaints from disgruntled locals.

'We obviously get some complaints, even though it happens every year,' he said. 'A lot of it is misinformation – they didn't realize that street was going to be closed and stuff like that.'

Planning the policing operation took months, he added, and has meant switching officers from the detective bureau to patrol for some of March to ensure the beach is always covered.

Other measures include putting French barriers along the A1A road that runs alongside Las Olas Beach to funnel students into crosswalks and staggering shifts so the police presence is heaviest at 5pm when the Spring Breakers leave the beach.

He told DailyMail.com: 'We're looking for compliance, we're looking to provide somewhat of an orderly environment for them to enjoy themselves in.

'The thing that is always the catalyst to create issues is alcohol – alcohol is always a big issue when you have a lot of college kids together.

'We don't allow alcohol on the beach. The kids can go to local establishments and they can buy alcohol and consume alcohol in there but we do not allow alcohol on the beach.'

Nevertheless, on Saturday and Sunday, most of the students partying on the beach did have alcohol with them – some of it concealed in plastic water bottles and the rest drunk openly.

Police were seen making occasional forays onto the beach to confiscate the booze; pouring it out on the sand and dumping the containers.

Busted: On Friday alone, DailyMail.com witnessed eight incidents in which kids were hauled off the beach or cited for drug and alcohol possession within the space of 30 minutes

Students are often arrested for misdemeanor offenses such as being drunk and fighting, a police officer told DailyMail.com. Above one woman is seen being taken away in handcuffs

Police were seen making occasional forays onto the beach to confiscate the booze; pouring it out on the sand and dumping the containers. Pictured: A cop searches a woman's backpack for illicit items (left) while another woman is taken away in handcuffs (right)

Mounted police patrolled the area this weekend, but the high presence of cops did not stop students from indulging in drinking and doing drugs

Spring breakers ignored the signs outside Las Olas that clearly banned alcohol on the beach

One drunken boy was asked 'want to go to jail?' after he snuck up on a police horse and touched its backside for a dare

A mounted police unit was seen charging into the crowd after an empty can was thrown at one of the horses

Horses were used to break up fights, with officers seen dragging miscreants off the beach on 11 occasions in just two hours on Saturday afternoon alone.

On Sunday, there were four incidents in the space of a single hour – including an arrest and a police K-9 digging up a bag of drugs concealed in the sand.

But while many students said they appreciated the police efforts to keep things under control, not everyone agreed – with one finding himself in handcuffs after screaming: 'You're taking all the weed! No alcohol, no music – what are you going to arrest me for?'

Mallory, a 21-year-old student from Michigan State University, added: 'It kind of sucks because the police are watching over and they have all the dogs coming round smelling everything. We've seen a couple of people get busted but it's not stopping anyone.'

Michael Bradley, 18, a business student from Palm Beach College said: 'The cops, I mean, they're doing their job that's all I can say.

'I'm kind of annoyed that we can't fly flags or dig a hole. I mean I understand at the same time but I think there's a bit too many to like enjoy yourself.'

Other incidents passed unnoticed by cops, including one in which a girl so drunk she could barely stand was groped by a group of baying men – one of whom was also seen simulating sex with a second woman.

Christian Jones, 24, of Ball State University told DailyMail.com he had seen another pair of students having real sex on the beach in full view of passers-by.

'I saw some people having sex on the beach,' he said. 'Me and my boys, we were throwing the football on the beach and I was going for a catch and I just landed in there while they were having sex. That's about the craziest thing I've seen so far.'

Although students are cleared off the beach by police every day at around 5.30pm, the party doesn't stop there with most continuing on to clubs and bars in Fort Lauderdale's historic downtown district.

In addition to drugs and alcohol, some students even brought a long hookahs to smoke on the beach

Fort Lauderdale is one of the most popular Spring Break destinations in Florida, with a recent survey putting it in second place after Orlando and its theme park resorts and ahead of nearby Miami

Since the crowds are difficult to control, police say they wish for students to enjoy themselves, but to 'act responsibly'

Another boy was seen taking part in the debauchery and nuzzled the breasts of a girl on the beach. Pictured above are students Jordan Rausch and Jordan Barr

Lewd: One girl in a skimpy bikini posed with a boy for a picture showing off her backside covered in sunscreen

Most women were seen wearing tiny bikinis and minimal clothing, but one man opted for a strange choice of beachwear (pictured)

Dancing away: One scantily-clad party-goer 'twerked' over one of her sleeping girlfriends

The girl sleeping below the dancing friend did not appear to be aware of what was going on

Police records show that 19 people were arrested in total on Friday – most for disorderly conduct and being found with weed and cocaine – compared to 35 during the preceding week as a whole. Above, a girl is seen dancing as her friend takes photos

One student described the annual event as: 'It's like, the entire experience is wild and it's honestly the best thing ever.' Above a girl and her friend poses with their foam cups

An officer described the scene as 'controlled chaos.' Above three girls flaunt their backsides

Among the favorites is Sway, a nightclub that bills itself as 'Fort Lauderdale's hottest nightlife destination', and America's Backyard – a shabby-looking establishment that prides itself on its 'collegiate crowd'.

On Saturday night, long lines of revelers could be seen lined up outside both from 11pm while others took advantage of the nearby Escape Lounge's eight shots for $10 promotion.

Popular options included cheap tequila, the peach juice and vodka Sex on the Beach and a lurid blue mixture of vodka and triple sec called Kamikaze.

By midnight, the revelry was in full swing, with girls seen grinding on a stripper pole and chugging shots in a bar-turned-club called Capone's and shaking their bottoms enthusiastically, cheered on by groups of men.

Other students were seen having shots of blue vodka poured down their throats by scantily-clad waitresses standing on the bar, with the result that by 3am, many were looking distinctly the worse for wear.

Standing outside wearily watching the debauchery were the cops, some of whom had also patrolled the beach earlier the same day.

Student Michael Bradley told DailyMail.com: 'I've seen a man walking around in a complete G-string, I've seen girls get completely naked. I saw a guy shotgun eight beers in a row.

'There's so much crazy things going on all at once. It's non-stop drinking, absolutely non-stop drinking.

'The after parties, the before parties – pre-gaming – everything. It's like, the entire experience is wild and it's honestly the best thing ever.'

For Major Swisher and his team, March looks set to be a long month unless students heed his plea to 'be reasonable'.

He said: 'We want them to have a good time, we want them to enjoy themselves. But we'd like them to act responsible.

'Act responsible, respect the ordinances and the laws that are in place. Have a good time but be reasonable.'

But the Spring Breakers descending on Fort Lauderdale appear to have other ideas, with most telling DailyMail.com that they plan to do nothing but booze and hit the beach.

Asked what he intends to do during his week-long vacation, 21-year-old Jack Sweeney, of Ohio State University, said: 'Get drunk. Drink all day, drink all day long.' Bad news for Major Swisher.

Later that night, party-goers headed to Downtown Fort Lauderdale, Florida to head to bars and clubs and drink in the streets

By midnight, the revelry was in full swing, with girls seen grinding on a stripper pole and chugging shots in a bar-turned-club called Capone's and shaking their bottoms enthusiastically, cheered on by groups of men

One man lifts up his shirt to reveal he smuggled a bottle of vodka in his pants