The emergency calls flood in at all hours, especially during the bustling summer months. Pablo Roig, an ambulance technician on the iconic party island of Ibiza, navigates through congested traffic and throngs of beachgoers, arriving at a familiar yet troubling scene: drug-related emergencies at nightclubs.
“Sometimes, the workload is so intense that we barely have time to grab a bite or have a coffee,” shared Mr. Roig, 47. The local health technicians’ union has raised alarms that Ibiza's public ambulance service is on the brink of collapse, as drug-related calls from nightclubs have surged. According to union representatives, over 25% of ambulance calls during the peak tourist season now relate to incidents at nightclubs, with many of the affected being foreign visitors, further straining resources meant for the island's permanent population of 160,000.
“There are nights when we have to respond to the same nightclub multiple times,” explained José Manuel Maroto, a union spokesperson. “It’s become a daily occurrence to transport intoxicated patients from certain clubs.”
Once a picturesque retreat, Ibiza is reported to have hosted around 3.3 million visitors last year, becoming increasingly synonymous with the challenges posed by overtourism. This growing demand on local healthcare services is part of a broader narrative of tension across Europe as residents of tourist-heavy regions, including Italy and Portugal, voice their frustrations about the overwhelming influx of visitors and its impact on public resources.
Protests against the pressures of tourism have erupted recently in multiple European countries, signaling a growing discontent among locals who argue that the rising visitor numbers drive up living costs and stretch essential services beyond their limits.
