The city council of Palma de Mallorca has introduced new rules to better protect local residents from alcohol harms caused during peak tourism period from April to October each year.
Palma de Mallorca is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. It is situated on the south coast of Mallorca on the Bay of Palma. In 2019, the population of the city was 416,065. Almost half of the total population of Mallorca lives in Palma.
Beginning in 2023 city council of Palma de Mallorca instituted the following new alcohol limits around Playa de Palma:
- Flat-rate alcohol sales are outlawed.
- Alcohol advertising is banned.
- Selling and consuming alcohol in the streets is prohibited.
In addition, the city council introduced high fines for disturbance of the peace or harassment while intoxicated.
If people violate these new rules, they face fines in the range of €100 to €3000, according to Das Ding reporting.
The new rules extend beyond areas of Playa de Palma, addressing alcohol harm in “Beer Street”, the street parallel to the “Ham Street”, the Carrer del Llaüt, and the sea promenade from the Megapark to the Dino-Minigolf, according to Das Ding.
Second-hand harm from alcohol is a long-standing problem for people in Mallorca
The Balearic islands are all struggling with over-tourism and some consequences, such as pervasive alcohol harm. The islands were historically hotspots for booze tourism and the second-hand harms local people are facing from this pervasive alcohol norm are severe.
Already in 2022 authorities introduced regulations to better protect local residents from alcohol harm caused by tourists. The legislation addressed overcrowding public spaces by people under the influence of alcohol, banned happy hours, pub crawls, two-for-one alcoholic drink offers, the sale of alcohol in shops between 9:30pm and 8am, and the advertising of party boats in certain areas.
Many all-inclusive resorts in Magaluf, El Arenal and Ibiza imposed a drink limit, according to Euronews reporting.
Already in 2017, Movendi International reported about the struggles of the Balearic Islands with anti-social tourism, often fueled by alcohol. At the time, authorities asked Spain and the European Union to ban alcohol on flights and in airports as they face the consequences of alcohol harm.
And last year, Movendi International reported that both the Spanish government and regional governments had begun taking action to reduce alcohol availability. The alcohol policy solutions had the potential to prevent and reduce pervasive alcohol harm.
Regional governments in Mallorca – the largest island in the Balearic archipelago, according to Wikipedia – and other parts of the archipelago have banned all-inclusive alcohol aiming to lower alcohol use and better prevent alcohol harm.
Magaluf and El Arenal on Mallorca and Ibiza have adopted this new policy.
Furthermore, under the improved regulations happy hours, pub crawls, and two-for-one alcoholic beverages were also banned in these jurisdictions.
