Natchez has always been known as a “drinking town.” We expect that hearkens back to the city’s earliest days when rough-hewn riverboat men first roamed Natchez Under-the-Hill and patronized the taverns of the day.

But soon the drinking town moniker of Natchez may extend to the streets of downtown.

That is if the state Legislature passes the expansion of the bill known as the “go cup” bill, which would allow the city to create a zone in which patrons of bars and restaurants could take a drink with them when they leave.

The bill passed the Senate and is headed for consideration at the House.

If the bill passes, however, that’s only the first step in the process. City aldermen would still have to create and approve the zone in which alcohol would be allowed to be taken into the streets.

The bill makes sense if Natchez plans to further develop downtown for tourists. That said, if the bill passes and aldermen take up the matter, we urge them to simultaneously increase police presence in the go-cup zone.

Alcohol is all too often the lubricant that causes situations to go from bad to worse, often with violent, sometimes deadly results.

Allowing alcohol to more freely move around town may very well cause more problems in the long run.

The city needs to be cautious here and err on the side of caution.

Natchez may be a drinking town, but it can also be a smart town if it handles the addition of more alcohol in a smart, detailed manner.