It's now illegal for bars to refuse to serve alcohol to pregnant women in New York City.

New guidelines released Friday say pregnant women cannot be kept out of bars, or denied alcoholic drinks just because they're expecting.

"Judgments and stereotypes about how pregnant individuals should behave, their physical capabilities and what is or is not healthy for a fetus are pervasive in our society and cannot be used as pretext for unlawful discriminatory decisions," the guidelines say.

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Commission officials said the city's restaurants will continue to post warnings that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause birth defects but, these health decisions are ultimately up to the woman, not the bartender.

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Rose Scott signals as "Closer Look" goes on the air in the WABE studio. An Atlanta resident left WABE a $3 million donation, a boost after WABE lost $1.9 million in annual funding from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting. (Ben Gray for the AJC 2023)

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