Ibiza’s Health System Overwhelmed by Tourist Drug and Alcohol Emergencies
The Spanish island of Ibiza, long known as a popular party destination for tourists, is now facing a growing strain on its health system as a result of an increasing number of emergency incidents tied to drug and alcohol misuse among visitors. According to reports by the Spanish publication elDiaro.es, a quarter of daily ambulance emergencies are linked to large leisure centers, with most cases involving foreign tourists experiencing drug or alcohol-related issues at nightclubs. This surge in demand is putting immense pressure on local healthcare workers, leading to delays in responding to other critical emergencies.
Union leaders from the Works Council of the Union of Healthcare Technicians (WCUHT) have pointed out that the situation is exacerbated by a rising number of tourists and an increase in leisure facilities, rather than improvements in infrastructure or services. José Manuel Maroto, the union president, criticized the lack of progress in managing the situation, noting that the number of visitors to Ibiza has grown, from 3.38 million in 2023 to 3.28 million in 2024, according to the Ibiza Preservation. Meanwhile, he warns that the system’s saturation affects more than just party-related cases, as essential emergencies often face delays due to the overload of the island’s ambulance services.
Studies conducted by researchers at Cambridge University Press have highlighted the severity of the problem, with a 2014 study by the Center for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University revealing that 85.3% of British tourists aged between 16 and 35 reported using illicit drugs, while 54.1% smoked tobacco. These findings are further supported by a European Psychiatry study that found a steady increase in drug-related fatalities in Ibiza from 2010 to 2016, with MDMA and cocaine being the most commonly used substances. In response to the issue, some party promoters, such as Wayne Anthony, have expressed skepticism about the possibility of fully addressing the drug problem, stating that certain subcultures inherently associate partying with drug use.
The WCUHT is advocating for clubs to collaborate with private ambulance services instead of relying on the public system, which they argue is unaffordable and unsustainable. Maroto emphasizes that the burden of these healthcare costs falls on the public, and the situation has created a pressing need for more efficient and specialized services to address the challenges of over-tourism and increased drug-related activity in Ibiza.