Laughing gas epidemic spreads to Majorca as urgent warning issued over ‘rampant' sale of party drug that scars Brits
Dealers are flooding the island's party hotspots and leaving Brits at risk of seizures, permanent scars and even death.
7
A tourist in Majorca being sold balloons on a night out
Credit: Ultima Hora
7
Nitrous Oxide balloons openly being inhaled on the notorious party strip in San Antonio Ibiza where two balloons were €10
Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
7
Holidaymaker inhaling balloons on the notorious party strip in San Antonio, Ibiza
Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
7
Finished balloons litter the street on the notorious party strip in Ibiza
Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
The trade association Acotur says the sale of balloons filled with nitrous oxide is now 'rampant' in
Its president, Jose Tirado, is demanding an urgent crackdown, warning: 'It's totally out of control.'
Street dealers are openly targeting tourists with balloons for a fiver a hit – sparking fears the island is going the same way as Ibiza.
There, young Brits have been filmed foaming at the mouth, collapsing with seizures, and even scarred for life by the dangerous drug.
Read more about Spain
Mr Tirado said: 'It is inadmissible. We merchants pay our taxes and we see how the mafias take away our customers.'
He blasted officials for failing to protect businesses, warning trade has plunged 20 per cent this summer compared to last year.
'We are tired of calling the police and they don't come. In fact, they would have to go with trucks to be able to take the attempted quantities of counterfeits that they sell,' Mr Tirado explained.
Police insist they are cracking down, revealing more than 20 operations have been carried out between June and July, with 50 reports filed, numerous items seized, and 23 fines slapped on illegal vendors ranging from €450 to €750.
Most read in The Sun
Inside Ibiza 'death hotel' on lockdown after 2 Brits die in a month… as rooftop guards watch tourists & parties banned
Lucmajor council added that more than 200 fake items have been confiscated in Playa de Palma raids.
But Mr Tirado says the problem has exploded since officials banned laughing gas sales in clubs and bars, pushing the trade onto the streets where gangs operate with 'total impunity'.
'We can't take it anymore,' he fumed.
Seizures, scars & street chaos
The crisis mirrors Ibiza's notorious San Antonio strip, where determined dealers armed with industrial-sized canisters
Bartender Katie Mae, 21, who works at Irish pub Shenanigans, said laughing gas is 'the worst of them all.'
She told The Sun: 'I'll lecture anyone I see taking it – I've seen the worst things from laughing gas.
'I've seen young lads having seizures on the street and foaming at the mouths, but their friends are high so do nothing to help.
'One girl I saw inhaled gas straight from the canister, and it froze one side of her face. It was all cut up and she would have been scarred for life.'
She added: 'The consequences aren't talked about anywhere near enough. People don't take it seriously as a drug – but it's one of the worst.'
7
Dealers in San Antonio are armed with huge canisters that pump out up to 80 hits
Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
7
Nitrous oxide balloons litter the floor on the notorious party strip in San Antonio
Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Another Brit working the strip admitted she once sold laughing gas until a customer 'nearly died'.
She recalled: 'A young lad fell backwards and smashed his head on the road in the midst of a balloon high. As soon as that happened I stopped. It really freaked me out.'
The West End of San Antonio is now littered with colourful balloon scraps, as locals despair over the chaos.
Shopworker Angelica Giraldo, 40, said: 'It is everywhere now. And it causes lots of accidents. People take it while driving, but it makes them go crazy and they crash. This happens a lot.'
Official crackdowns
Despite laughing gas being illegal in Spain, street sellers continue to brazenly peddle it, some even using apps to warn each other when police are near.
San Antonio Town Council says it is hiring ten new officers and introducing private security to tackle the scourge.
'The City Council is fully aware that these are only the first steps in a broader transformation process and that there is still a long way to go,' it said.
But for locals in Majorca, patience is running thin.
Mr Tirado warned: 'This tourist season is not being as good as the previous ones, so the economic problems of the merchants have worsened even more.
'In Majorca we have diesel tourists: they walk a lot and spend little.'
7
The streets in San Antonio are full of tourists inhaling nitrous oxide
Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
23 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Showjumper had ‘mutual agreement' with partner to cheat before ‘forcing underage girl into sex with him & horse rider'
A SHOWJUMPER had a "mutual agreement" with his girlfriend to cheat before he forced an underage girl into sex with him and a horse rider, a court heard. Guy Simmonds, 37, and Lauren Jarvis, 26, are accused of targeting the girl despite knowing she was under 16. 4 Guy Simmonds' partner Rebecca Dimes had a 'mutual agreement' to cheat, a court heard Credit: WNS 4 His is accused of forcing an underage girl into sex Credit: WNS 4 He and Lauren Jarvis allegedly had a sexual encounter together with the girl Credit: WNS Equestrian boss Simmonds called himself "daddy" in messages to the youngster and would abuse her while his girlfriend Rebecca Dimes was away, jurors heard. Ms Dimes told Cardiff Crown Court today how she gave her permission for Simmonds to have sex with other women on the understanding that she 'did not want to know anything about it.' Prosecutor James Hartson said: 'You say there was an understanding that he might stray. Did he say 'This is how it is going to be?'' Giving evidence, Miss Dimes said: 'No. It was a mutual understanding.' Read more news The court heard the couple met on Tinder before moving in together in 2022. Ms Dimes said in her evidence that the alleged victim would "tell stories" and often spoke about sex. She also denied she had been "coached or manipulated' by Simmonds over what to tell jurors. The court heard in January 2024, he messaged fellow rider Jarvis to organise a "threesome" at her home - asking when he should "pop over". Most read in The Sun Simmonds then allegedly text the girl to inform her of the plan, telling her: "You will both do what daddy says." The girl told the court Simmonds got her and Jarvis to "do stuff" with each other before he had sex with both of them. Jurors heard previously Simmonds messaged Jarvis after the alleged encounter to say: "You both loved that haha". Jarvis then replied: "Yeah, you missed round two" with a wink emoji. They later hatched a "pact of silence" when they got wind that the girl was talking about it, the court heard. Simmonds text Jarvis, saying: "Hey, I have a feeling that [name of alleged victim] has said about us. "If anyone asks for sake of both of us nothing ever happened that night xx." Jarvis replied: "Hey, who's she told? Oh god has she really, what's she trying to do, make our lives hell? Of course I will xx." Simmonds ran a riding school that offered "showjumping horse production and sales, coaching and schooling" in the village of Undy in Wales. He added the girl on Facebook and told her "thanks for accepting" before being told her age, it is said. The experienced showjumper would allegedly regularly take the girl into a horsebox to sexually abuse her while they were alone at the stables. Jurors heard that at one point, this was happening every couple of days when Simmonds' girlfriend was away. The alarm was raised when the girl told her dad what had allegedly happened and he alerted police. In her police interview, the girl said she felt she could not just walk away because she was scared Simmonds would "hurt me". She added: "I wasn't smiling and stuff when this was going on. If you looked at my face you could tell there was fear." The girl claimed there was one occasion where Simmonds took out his phone and allegedly began filming her. She told police he had a "little smirk on his face", the court heard. Simmonds later dumped his mobile in a bin at a Tesco just days before he was arrested for alleged sexual contact with a child. He denied he was attempting to destroy evidence - and claimed the phone was broken when he was quizzed by police. The court heard he also burned or threw away a mattress from his horse box where he is accused of repeatedly having sex with the victim. Simmonds told police he did not have any form of sexual contact with the victim. He also claimed any messages about the alleged encounter were "banter and a wind up." Simmonds denies six counts of sexual activity with a child, while Jarvis has pleaded not guilty to one charge of sexual activity with a child. The trial continues. 4 Jarvis allegedly entered into a 'pact of silence' with Simmonds Credit: WNS
Irish Independent
25 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
N17 targeted in road safety operation backed by Minister, Gardaí, and the Road Safety Authority
Bank holiday weekends are traditionally one of the busiest times on Irish roads, and also among the most dangerous with a heightened risk of a fatal, or a serious road traffic collision. To address this, An Garda Síochána are conducting a dedicated road traffic enforcement operation on the N17 throughout the August Bank Holiday Weekend. The operation began at 7am on Thursday, July 31, and will run until 7am on Wednesday, August 6. Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Sean Canney, visited the operation and urged the public to think carefully before setting out this bank holiday weekend. 'I'm pleading with people today. So far this year we have lost 91 lives on the road. That is devastating for the families involved, the communities and for everybody. If you're a driver of a car, if you're a cyclist, a motorcyclist, or a pedestrian going on the road, you have a personal responsibility to yourself and other road users. So I'm asking everybody to just think, take one minute before you hop into the car.' Mr Canney reminded motorists of basic safety steps: 'When you get into the car the first thing you do is put on your seatbelt, the second thing you do is put your phone away so it's not within earshot, and make sure you have no drink or drugs taken when you twist that key.' The N17 is a national primary road connecting Galway to Sligo and passes through a number of towns including Tuam, Claremorris and Knock. It has seen several fatalities in recent years. 'We wanted to highlight that this is a road with a particularly high number of fatalities,' said Chief Superintendent Ray McMahon from the Mayo, Roscommon and Longford Garda Division. 'This is the August Bank Holiday Weekend, traditionally one of the busiest weekends on the roads in Mayo, particularly down towards Westport and Achill. We want to raise awareness to people to just slow down and be conscious of the vulnerable road users we have such as cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians.' He continued: 'We've had a number of fatalities in relation to pedestrians around the Mayo area this year so it's about raising awareness towards speed. We're going to be out in force from today right through until Wednesday. There is a considerable increase of checkpoints and the number of speed checks, we are keeping an eye on mobile phone use and seatbelts.' The operation is a joint initiative between the Department of Transport, the Road Safety Authority (RSA), and An Garda Síochána. Mr Canney said the Department for Transport continues to support the RSA's road safety efforts, including driver training and testing, and works closely with Gardaí to enforce the law. ADVERTISEMENT 'I work closely with Jim O'Callaghan, the Minister for Justice, because there's rules and regulations he brings in and we work in a combined effort to try and get the message out there,' he told the Irish Independent. Today, the RSA published its mid-year review of road fatalities. The data revealed that there have been 86 fatal collisions resulting in 91 fatalities on public roads. Of these, 35 were drivers, 22 were pedestrians, 17 were motorcyclists, 8 were pedestrians and 1 was an e-scooter user. 25pc of all fatalities were aged 25 years or younger, showing a decrease of 14 fatalities in this age category compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, fatalities in the 46-65 age category are at the highest level in six years. Since July 2024, passenger fatalities have dropped by 16, but there's been a rise in fatalities involving cyclists, pedestrians, and motorcyclists. 56pc of all fatalities occurred on 80km/h and 100km/h roads. Additionally, 59pc of fatalities occurred in a single vehicle collision. Follow Independent Mayo on Facebook Sarah O'Connor, the RSA's Director of Partnership and External Affairs, highlighted the heightened risks during the summer months: 'Over the last number of years we have seen either July or August feature among the highest months for fatalities. We are reminding people that this bank holiday weekend you can make a huge difference, you can prevent serious injuries and you can save lives.' She added: 'Our mid-year report gives us a sense of what's been happening on Irish roads up until Monday this week. We have seen falls in passenger and driver fatalities, but we have seen growth across motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians, 'We can all take great care and ensure that no person has to have a Guard called to their door with the most devastating news conceivable.'
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Driver clocked overtaking at 101kmh in a 60kmh zone fined €240 after telling Gardai he was ‘late for the Galway Races'
GARDAI in Kildare issued a €240 fine and three penalty points to a man caught speeding and "dangerously overtaking". Gardai in Advertisement 2 Gardai pulled the man over in a 60kmh zone Credit: Facebook /Gardai 2 The man had several excuses for the Gardai Credit: Fergal Phillips. The man was caught in Milltown by members of the Naas Roads Policing Unit. When The motorist also claimed he had never been in trouble before and asked cops to be "let off". Gardai issued the man with a fixed Charge Penalty Notice of €240 and three penalty points. Advertisement READ MORE IN NEWS The policing unit has warned motorists dangerous driving puts "lives at risk". They also pleaded with the public to leave the "racing" to the horses. Posting on social media Gardai said: "Naas Roads Policing Unit recently conducted a speed check in Milltown (60kph zone), where they detected a vehicle travelling at 101kph while dangerously overtaking on a continuous white line. "When stopped, the driver claimed he was 'late for the Advertisement Most read in Irish News "No Stewards' inquiry required on this occasion. "The motorist was issued a Fixed Charge Penalty Notice (FCPN) of €240 and received 3 penalty points." Gardai and RSA measures aimed at driving crash deaths on Irish roads They continued: "Driving like this puts lives at risk. "Excessive speed and dangerous overtaking are a recipe for serious — even fatal — collisions. Advertisement "Leave the racing to the horses. Stay safe." WITNESS APPEALS Separately, Gardai have issued to witness appeals over two serious collisions in the past 24-hours. In Waterford, a The collision occurred on the R675 at Ballinahilla at approximately 11.45pm on Wednesday night. Advertisement And in Kerry this morning a female in her 60s was airlifted to hospital following a crash between a car and a van. The A man in his 80s and a second woman in her 60s were also hospitalised following the crash. Gardai are asking anyone with information or footage on either collision to come forward. Advertisement
