Campaign about risks of binge drinking

THE deputy mayor of the Sports and Youth Department, Rafel Duran, confirmed yesterday that from next Monday, and for two weeks, the council will conduct an information campaign to explain to young people the dangers of binge drinking. The campaign will also underline how dangerous it is to drink and drive. Duran said that informative leaflets would be distributed in schools and colleges as well as in the Balearic University, and added that the media would also be carrying news of this campaign. The starting of this campaign was agreed upon last Friday in the local assembly for Citizen Security, during the discussion on what measures to adopt after the organising of a “macrobotellon” for April 8 which apparently could be brought forward to April 1. The newest measure of those presented at last Friday's meeting was the starting of an advanced control centre in the Port Authority's port police station which also has 13 closed circuit cameras. This measure was started at the weekend. Also, on April 1 and 8 the Immediate Intervention Unit of the Local Police and the Prevention Unit of the National Police, whose officers are popularly known as “anti riot officers”, will be prepared in case they are needed. They would only be called upon in extreme cases. In addition to this, the Guardia Civil will be carrying out alcohol checks and will bring in a support boat. There will also be volunteers from the Civil Protection group on duty on these dates. As for the expected medical presence, they will be assisted by two ambulances which will be added to the five already on duty and one more intensive care mobile unit to assist the three which are normally on duty for the weekends on which mass drinking sessions take place on the Paseo Maritimo. For their part, EMAYA (Palma's Water and Maintenance company) is planning to put more rubbish bins in the Paseo Maritimo which will be added to those they regularly put in place at the weekends. The Mayor of Palma, Catalina Cirer, said yesterday that the aim of the council with this new campaign is “to try to dissuade young people from taking part in the binge drinking session by reasoned argument”. She added that she was pleased that there were no incidents in Palma last weekend and said that a special force for vigilance and control was now in operation.