The state Land Board approved a proposal to permanently ban booze at the Kaneohe Bay sandbar during three-day weekends.

The ban, approved Friday, also prohibits drugs and disorderly conduct at Ahu o Laka, a popular gathering spot for boaters, on three-day weekends that encompass a state holiday.

But that was only the first step in the rule-making process.

Public hearings will be held and reviews will be conducted by the Small Business Regulatory Review Board before the proposal is sent back to the Land Board for approval. The proposal will then be sent to the Governor’s Office for a final OK.

The process could take three to six months.

The ban would prohibit:

» Possession or consumption of alcohol and other intoxicating substances within the most frequently crowded sections of Ahu o Laka and the immediate surrounding area.

» Entering or remaining in the safety zone while intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol, narcotics or drugs.

» Disorderly conduct.

The request for a permanent alcohol ban by the state Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation comes after a significant drop in unwanted activity at the sandbar following a temporary ban the board approved in June. The temporary rule covered three-day weekends for a 120-day period that covered the Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends.

During the ban, the number of boats and people dropped by half at the sandbar, according to state officials.

Opponents to the ban said more enforcement would solve the problem.

But William Aila Jr., chairman of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, said stepped-up enforcement isn’t enough.

"Just having more bodies there is not going to solve it," he said. "You have to have a more effective way of writing up citations and prosecuting those citations."

Eight citations for unauthorized possession of alcohol within the Ahu o Laka safety zone were issued during the temporary ban. The Land Board imposed fines that ranged from $50 to $400.

Roy Yanagihara, chairman of the Kaneohe Neighborhood Board, said members support the ban but still have questions.

"At first glance we like it," he said. "The general consensus is we’re in favor of it. We need to know the details. The public needs to know the details."

Yanagihara questioned the wisdom of outlawing the possession of alcohol within the safety zone.

"If possession is made a violation, it’s going to impact more on those people that are planning to recreate on the sandbar," he said. Some fishermen who stop by the sandbar to relax, for instance, might have beer in their cooler that they intend to consume not at the sandbar, but later as they head to their fishing spot, he said.

"I think that’s something we need to give some thought to," said Yanagihara.

Social media contributed to the popularity of the sandbar in the past couple of years, he said. Instant notifications of parties contributed to the overcrowding problem. Throngs of boats and people flocked to the area primarily during major three-day weekends such as July Fourth, Memorial Day and Labor Day.

"It made those gatherings much larger than in the past. The number of people is the reason why you’re bound to have trouble," said Yanagihara.