The vibrant island of Ibiza, renowned for its bustling nightlife and hedonistic atmosphere, is facing a crisis as its healthcare system buckles under the pressure of drug-related emergencies. Pablo Roig, an ambulance technician navigating through the summer chaos, describes the overwhelming influx of emergency calls related to intoxicated partygoers.
With peak tourist season bringing in more than 3.3 million visitors, the local health technicians union reports that over 25% of ambulance calls pertain to nightclubs, frequently involving foreign tourists. José Manuel Maroto of the union emphasizes the recurrent nature of these incidents, noting that some nightclubs require multiple visits in a single night.
The healthcare strain is a microcosm of broader tensions across Europe, with popular tourist destinations in Spain, Italy, and Portugal witnessing anti-tourism protests. Residents express discontent over the escalating costs of living and resource shortages attributed to overtourism. As popular areas grapple with balancing tourism and local needs, the consequences of Ibiza's party culture evidently extend far beyond the island's vibrant clubs.
