'Ibiza drugs cheaper than booze'
Page last updated at
06:02 GMT, Thursday, 2 September 2010 07:02 UK
By Simon Mundie
Newsbeat reporter in Ibiza
Anna says people take drugs in Ibiza because it's so expensive to drink
Twenty-four-year-old Anna, who grew up in Ibiza, says many tourists end up taking drugs there because alcohol is so expensive.
She grew up in San Juan, which couldn't be more different than tourist havens like San Antonio.
There's no pounding house music in the air or young Brits handing out flyers here.
Instead there are just a few couples sharing bottles of wine, an elderly pair smoking cigars outside a cafe and four young boys kicking a football around on the street.
Very few cars have gone past, unlike clubland in the middle of the night. San Juan feels like a different country altogether.
Ibiza is a very small island, but despite its size it's very different depending on where you go.
Anna, who moved to London a few years ago, thinks it's what makes this part of Ibiza so special, and feels that clubbers are missing out by just sticking to those parts of the island where the famous nightlife flourishes.
She isn't a fan of the tourist areas like San Antonio, which was the scene of some of last week's drugs busts that saw 38,000 ecstasy tablets snatched along with vast quantities of cocaine, ketamine and cash.
'Horrible place'
She said: "I go there about once every three years, and when I do I stay about half an hour and then I run away.
San Juan is a lot quieter than the more tourist-heavy parts of Ibiza "It's the most horrible place to be for me. It's emotional to see, all these people who have no idea where they are, doing stuff they would never do back home."
Some clubbers have told Newsbeat that the majority of young Brits who come here take drugs, and Anna says the same.
She said: "I would think it's safe to say at least 80%.
"It's to do with money. Drinks cost between 15 and 20 euros a drink. Most people can't afford that every day for a week.
"A pill only costs 10 euros - most people will just go for the pill."
A local policeman, who didn't want to be named, agreed with Anna's assessment of the level of drug use, again quoting the figure of around 80%.
However, he insisted steps had been taken to tackle the issue on the island.
Targeting suppliers
Firstly, he points to the stricter licensing laws. Some clubs used to stay open all day for after parties, but now they must shut at 6am.
That has had an impact on the level of drug use as people no longer need artificial stimulants to keep them going over marathon 20 hour plus sessions.
He also points out that the authorities outlawed large private parties, which used to take place in areas like the island's woodland - notorious for excessive drug use.
He also insisted the priority had to be to target the suppliers who carry large quantities of drugs rather than simply the people who have drugs for their own recreational use because it's the dealers who are doing the real damage.
So the authorities have certainly taken steps to tackle drug use on the island, although the level of drug use appears to remain high.
So what else can be done? Anna says bringing prices down could have a real impact.
She said: "If you can buy a drink for seven euros instead of 15, you might just decide to go for drinks the whole night."
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