Authorities in Majorca have launched a hard-hitting publicity drive, warning young Brits about the dangers of drunken behaviour on holiday.
Called Return Trip, the initiative highlights the perils of ‘mixing fun and alcohol’, using images of the possible consequences of drinking to excess.
Stark black-and-white pictures show someone sat in a wheelchair, and grieving friends and relatives, to highlight the emotional and physical impacts of drunken accidents.
A website has been set up at returntrip.eu with the message: “Mixing fun and alcohol can be very dangerous. Due to heavy alcohol consumption, young people die after falling off buildings, in fights or in traffic accidents. Have you ever thought about the pain and suffering that you are going to leave behind if you do not return home?”
The website features downloadable images for other organisations and companies to use, and a video which reinforces the message about excessive drinking.
The campaign has been launched by the council in Calvia, which covers the popular resort of Magaluf, which has been plagued in recent years by boozy Brits.
The council said the messages are aimed at young people between 15 and 29, “especially from the UK and Ireland”, and the images will be seen in venues and across social media.
The initiative is supported by the the British Consulate in the Balearic Islands, and Georgia Hague, a British woman who is campaigning in Magaluf after a friend died in a balcony fall.
Elsewhere, in the nearby Majorcan capital of Palma, new rules came into force on April 1 as the authorities try to crack down on the problem of drunken tourists.
Happy hour and two-for-one offers have been banned, meaning bars which break the rules could face fines of up to €3,000.
Holidaymakers may also be fined for anti-social behaviour or causing a public nuisance.
The new rules followed a summit in Majorca, which also suggested limiting alcohol consumption at all-inclusive hotels.
Abta warned the Balearics authorities that they could drive away UK families if they do adopt a “misguided” proposal to restrict alcohol at all-inclusive hotels.
More: Abta says Balearics alcohol ban is ‘misguided’