Mission Statement: to assist the integration of foreign residents living in Spain
By Anna Akopyan • Published: 21 Aug 2024 • 10:07 • 2 minutes read
Irresponsible drinking Credit: Maurício Mascaro, Pexels
The deceiving effects of alcohol have been causing too many accidents and deaths in the past few years and have unfortunately resulted in tragic holiday incidents for many British tourists.
A young British tourist had plunged to her death from the 6th floor of a hotel in Ibiza, on August 20. The 19-year-old had been staying at a sea-fronted four-star, adults-only Hotel Vibra District in the party resort of San Antonio. At approximately 3am the young woman fell from the 6th floor and was declared dead at the scene.
Despite paramedics rushing to the scene, they could do no more for the victim due to the extent of her injuries. A police source stated; “Everything is pointing to this being a tragic accidental fall,” and added, “It is possible she may have been under the effects of drugs or alcohol.”
Several days before the tragic accident, a 28-year-old British tourist died on August 17, after falling from a 4,5 metre high hotel room in Palmanova, Mallorca. The man was reported to have been out partying before returning to the Reverence Mare Hotel; around 7am, the alarm was raised. Claimed dead at the scene, Civil Guard investigators stated that the incident occurred after the man tried to enter the wrong hotel and lost his way during an attempted shortcut.
By 2019, 46 cases of “balconing”; falling from balconies under the influence of substances, had been recorded in Spain, 61 per cent of the cases being British citizens.
In the Spanish fiesta fever, it can be easy to get caught up in partying and lose your sense of limit. Concerns about UK visitors have been so great that British tour operators, including TUI and Jet2, have urged Spanish hoteliers not to give their clients rooms with low guard rail balconies, which can be used as “diving boards,” in young and intoxicated people, resulting in tragic accidents.
Personal responsibility, however, is the main issue that needs to be addressed. With alcohol, the threat to your well-being is always present. However, there are ways to prevent critical cases.
An important thing to remember is to watch your limit and keep track of how much you´re drinking and what exactly you are drinking. Mixing drinks is not a good idea, especially in cases of taking medication, energy drinks, or alcohol of a different sort, like mixing beer with spirits or indulging in cocktails of mixed spirits and sugary sodas.
Alcohol may seem like an easy solution to fix a bad mood, but if you´re planning to drink in a poor mental state, ensure that you aren´t alone and have people around you whom you can trust, and someone sober. While hotel room partying can seem appealing, consider the dangers of heights lack of supervision, and an alcohol frenzy on top. A club or a bar is much more likely to guarantee safety and Spain is not short of those. No substance is worth risking your life for.
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From Moscow to Costa Blanca, Anna has spent over 10 years in Spain and one year in Berlin, where she worked as an actress and singer. Covering European news, Anna´s biggest passions are writing and travelling.
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