The practice of botellón, groups of young people who get together to drink alcohol brought from home, arrived to stay years ago, but has become widespread during the pandemic because of the lack of nightlife due to health restrictions. Despite the ban on this activity, every night teenagers, both Ibizans and visitors, take to the beaches, promenades and car parks equipped with their portable coolers.
A group of people, drinking on the promenade of ses Figueretes. David Tirado
The areas of ses Figueretes and Platja d’en Bossa are two of those with the highest incidence of drinking in Vila, as even on weekdays small groups of young people can be found hanging out on the sand and also in the street. Last Monday, at 11pm, there were already several concentrations of young people, mostly boys, dotted along the beach and also on Ses Figueretes promenade. Many of them had bought alcohol in the night supermarkets and carried bottles in plastic bags. Others brought coolers with booze from home.
Tourists drinking alcohol while walking down the street. DAVID TIRADO
On that day, most of the botellones were of only three or four people, although some groups of young people increased up to as many as fifteen. In addition, the kids had their own music, albeit at a bearable volume, well below that of the bars in the area open at that time of day.
Two groups of young people sitting on the beach with their coolers. David Tirado
Alcohol is not the only stimulant to be found on the promenade. In little more than an hour, this writer was offered everything from marijuana to cocaine by four different sellers, while other young people approached him to ask for drugs, as if he were another drug dealer.
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