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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Austin Walters died from an overdose in 2021 after taking a Xanax pill laced with fentanyl, his father said. A new law named after Austin and aimed at preventing deaths from fentanyl has resulted in its first convictions in Georgia, prosecutors said. (Family photo)

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