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
7
7
7
The trade association Acotur says the sale of balloons filled with nitrous oxide is now 'rampant' in Magaluf's infamous Punta Ballena strip and Playa de Palma in the capital.
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.
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.
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 target young Brits as 'easy prey'.
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
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
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Revealed: The glamorous women who threw their lives away by smuggling ecstasy pills... and the VERY extreme methods they take
For years, festivals have been hotbeds of illegal drugs that put the lives of innocent children at risk. Yet in recent years, one festival in particular has garnered an even more worrying reputation. Every year, electronic dance music festival Creamfields draws 70,000 people to the quaint Cheshire village of Daresbury, which usually has a population of 246 and was the birthplace of Lewis Carroll. Many youngsters enjoy the rave legally, and as respectfully as you can be when increasing the local population by 28,000 per cent. But the authorities are becoming increasingly concerned by drug use at the festival, which one judge described as the 'bane of Cheshire'. In particular, a vile trend has caught the eye of authorities on the gates. An increasing number of glamorous young women have taken to inserting bags, tied condoms and even Kinder Eggs full of ecstasy pills into their vagina. If the containers break, a vast quantity of illegal drugs will rush into their bloodstream and could burn the lining of their vaginas. If they get past the police sniffer dogs and into the festival - lives could be at risk from the deadly drugs they sell. While some of the women caught by security's sniffer dogs have claimed they were only bringing in enough for personal use, others have carried in enough to supply to an army of party-lovers. But one thing many of these drug mules have in common is their decision to smuggle in the illegal substances - including ecstasy, cocaine and ketamine - inside their vaginas. Molly Breen, 26, was jailed for more than two years because she decided to buy and then smuggle in illegal substances. Breen, from Coventry, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply MDMA at the festival in 2023. As the festival-goer went through security, she admitted to officers that she had hidden the Class A substance inside her vagina. She then removed the drugs, which included 15 small snap bags of 74 tablets worth £1,200 and was turned away from Creamfields and taken to a local police station. She initially claimed that she had been asked to take the drugs into the festival for someone else but her phone revealed she had asked to buy them from an unknown person months before attending and there was in fact no evidence she was coerced by anyone. Detective Constable Neil Fleming said: 'Breen would have had multiple opportunities to rethink what she was doing. Amnesty bins are in place for prohibited items and there is plenty of messaging discouraging people from trying to smuggle in drugs, but despite this, she still chose to go ahead. 'Cheshire Police links in with event organisers and security staff in a bid to prevent illegal drugs getting into the site, for the safety of all those at the festival. 'So let this be a warning, while a large majority of Creamfields festivalgoers are respectful, those smuggling drugs into the event will be charged and dealt with by the courts. 'Do not make the same mistake as Breen, who is now spending time in prison for her foolish and dangerous actions.' One mother was separated from her children for her decision after the judge felt there was no other choice than a stretch in prison. What happens if MDMA spills onto the wall of the vagina? Some people insert ecstasy into the anus or vagina from where it is rapidly absorbed into the blood stream. This is called 'shafting' or 'shelving'. Ecstasy used in this way can burn the linings of the anus or vagina. Shafting can also have a strong laxative effect. Source: The University of New South Wales, Sydney Mother-of-four Sian Bullock smuggled more than 60 MDMA pills into the music festival inside Kinder eggs and was jailed for three years in May. The 35-year-old smuggled the Class A drugs inside the small containers as she made her way through security at Creamfields in Daresbury on Saturday, August 26, 2023. The care support worker, from Thornton Cleveleys, Lancashire, admitted to police she had tried to smuggle 64 tablets in by hiding them inside her body in the toys but was rumbled after sniffer dogs alerted security staff. Police estimated the drugs had a potential value of up to £630 but Bullock claimed she was unaware. She told officers she didn't know what the drugs were but admitted she had bought them for personal use. Despite claiming she did not know what the MDMA pills were, she was charged with possession with intent to supply class A drugs and appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday, May 16 the Liverpool Echo reported. The mother was sentenced to three years in prison and the judge at her trial said a custodial sentence was the only answer despite Bullock having four small children. The front line worker is not the only one to have been involved in drug smuggling into the popular festival which sells 70,000 tickets a year. Lybertie Weaver, 21 at the time of her offence, saw sniffer dogs at the gates to the festival and decided to inform organisers that she had ecstasy tablets wrapped in a Kinder egg and hidden inside her vagina. The pills were worth roughly £530 and she was rumbled after her nerves got the better of her and she confessed her crime to the police. Her barrister, Gerald Pachter, said: 'This is a life-changing day for Miss Weaver. 'She is nervous and terrified,' the Warrington Guardian reported. The mental health care worker, who had been working for a wheelbarrow company supplying tools to the festival, appeared alongside Zara Caller in March, 2020. The 27-year-old from Kettering admitted possession with intent to supply class A drugs. As with Weaver, Caller also cooperated with police and told them that she had drugs hidden inside her. Her barrister, Mark Shanks, said she was being used as 'a mule' and 'panicked' when she saw the signs at the festival about drugs. The Northamptonshire-native revealed to the court that she had been paid £150 by a man called Brad for taking the drugs into Creamfields and this payment was also to help cover her weekend costs. The festival-goer concealed MDMA pills, powder and cocaine in a condom inside her vagina before entering the festival but upon seeing security she froze and told the guards. She explained that she realised what she was doing was wrong and couldn't go through with it. Her barrister said she is 'embarrassed' by what has happened and showed 'naivety'. However, judge Thompson disagreed and said that the text messages clearly showed that she knew what she was doing. Judge Thompson said: 'No, there are enough warning banners in place. I've seen the text messages, she knew exactly what was happening. 'Every year judges at this court hope we will see less young people. But every year more young people appear and we send them to prison. 'I don't suppose Brad, whoever he is, has been caught. When will these young men and women understand that drug dealers like 'Brad' use them and offer money for these drugs to be taken in for a reason. Hobdell (pictured) had 26.1g of cocaine worth up to £4,100, 2.43g of MDMA powder, also containing ketamine, valued at up to £400 and 96 MDMA tablets worth £960 'It is depressing that every year I have to deal with these cases. Young people with their whole lives ahead of them put it all at risk. 'People think they will not get caught. Drug use at this festival in Daresbury is the bane of Cheshire. It uses a lot of police resources from across the county.' Weaver and Caller were each sentenced to two years and eight months in prison. And they're not the only duo who have smuggled drugs inside themselves. Erin Gallacher, 23, and then lover Keir Lyons, 24, both from Dundee, were arrested at the festival in Runcorn, Cheshire, after she tried to sneak in 46 wraps of ketamine hidden inside two Kinder egg tubes and concealed in her vagina. One of the Kinder egg cartons contained 30 wraps, consisting of 19.7g of ketamine, valued at £1,200 and the other contained 11.1g of ketamine, valued at £640. The couple were caught after travelling to the popular event on August 25, 2023, by coach. But when quizzed Gallacher claimed they had not planned to smuggle the drugs into the event whilst Lyons insisted the items were for their own use. However, at Chester Crown Court, both admitted possession of ketamine with intent to supply. Gallacher was sentenced to four months in jail, suspended for 18 months, along with 200 hours of unpaid work. Lyons was sentenced to 12 months in jail, suspended for 12 months, along with 300 hours of unpaid work. For Erin Hobdell, 21, and Kira McNicol, 23, the decision to smuggle drugs inside their vagina to possibly sell on at the dance music festival resulted in a near miss with the prison system. The two beauticians tried to bring in £6,500 worth of drugs into Creamfields but avoided jail after a judge accepted they were 'pressured' into acting as mules by members of their group. Hobdell was caught with 42 knotted plastic bags containing cocaine, and ecstasy tablets hidden in her waistband while McNicol had 143 Ecstasy tablets secreted in her vagina. The pair had travelled 230 miles from their homes in Scotland to attend Creamfields festival in Runcorn, Cheshire, in 2022 with a group of their friends. When questioned the friends claimed they were persuaded to take the drugs into the event by the rest of the coach party and insisted they were not planning to sell the drugs. The court heard Hobdell had 26.1g of cocaine worth up to £4,100, 2.43g of MDMA powder, also containing ketamine, valued at up to £400 and 96 MDMA tablets worth £960. McNicol had 143 tablets secreted inside her person worth £1,490. At Chester Crown Court, Hobdell of Crookston, Glasgow pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to supply class A drugs cocaine and MDMA (ecstasy) and class B drug ketamine and was sentenced to 21 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. McNicol, from Prestwick, South Ayrshire pleaded guilty to possession of MDMA with intent to supply and was sentenced to 18 months jail suspended for 18 months. Both women sobbed in the dock as they were also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and had faced four years jail under sentencing guidelines. MailOnline have contacted Cheshire Police for comment.
The Sun
6 hours ago
- The Sun
BBC launches probe into Strictly cocaine use after claims stars took drug and it was widely discussed on show
THE BBC has hired a law firm to probe damning allegations of cocaine abuse on Strictly Come Dancing by two stars. It is said their drug use was 'well known' on the show. 3 3 3 Former contestants, dancers and crew will be able to speak to law firm Pinsent Masons to share any concerns. The show is facing a fresh crisis after the shocking drugs allegations were made in a legal submission to the BBC in March by law firm Russells on behalf of celebrity contestant Wynne Evans. It is understood others have also reported to the BBC allegations of drug taking on Strictly Come Dancing. A BBC spokesman told The Sun on Sunday yesterday: 'We have clear protocols and policies in place for dealing with any serious complaint raised with us. 'We would always encourage people to speak to us if they have concerns. 'Off their face' 'It would not be appropriate for us to comment further.' The latest stunning claims include one of Strictly Come Dancing's stars allegedly saying to a celebrity about another person on the show: 'Have you seen their pupils . . . they're off their face'. A celebrity is also said to have revealed it was 'well known on the show that two stars took cocaine . . . it was talked about widely among the cast'. A source said yesterday: 'These claims are extremely serious and should be taken as such. "Given only last year that the BBC's Director-General promised to clean up Strictly, it seems particularly shocking. Furious Wynne Evans reveals he's no longer speaking to Strictly's Katya Jones as he hits out at BBC 'The idea of the show's stars discussing drug-taking is deeply disturbing. 'The BBC have known about these allegations for some time, and acknowledged receiving them. 'Now they are taking firm action. They've been told that it's well-known that two stars took drugs, including cocaine, which was talked about widely among the cast. 'Also, the BBC has been told that one star described another as being 'off their face' on drugs. 'It was alleged the star said to another celebrity about a third person on the show: 'Have you seen their pupils . . . they're off their face'.' We are not naming the stars who are accused of drug-taking. News of the inquiry comes 14 months after a probe was launched into claims of misconduct by professional dancer Giovanni Pernice, who was later forced to step down amid bullying allegations. It means the BBC has now had to launch four separate inquiries over the past year into claims of misconduct. Others have been drawn into allegations of bullying on the BBC Breakfast show and dozens of claims of misconduct by Gregg Wallace, who has since been sacked as host of MasterChef. The source went on: 'The BBC pledged to clean up its act and bolster its duty-of-care measures. 'The Corporation is under enormous pressure to take these on-record allegations seriously in order to continually improve and monitor its welfare protocol ahead of the new series. 'No one wants to see the show's image damaged, but it's imperative that people are treated fairly and complaints of bad behaviour taken seriously. 'These allegations are extremely serious and the BBC will not brush them under the carpet. 'Lies and cover-ups' 'They need to protect the image of the show and make sure contestants feel safe and protected at all times. It is, after all, supposed to be a family show.' Worried Strictly chiefs are determined to deliver a trouble-free new show — as preparations have already started for the production of the upcoming 23rd series. In January opera singer Evans — famous for his role in the Go Compare TV ads — was axed from the Strictly live tour after he was recorded making an inappropriate sexual comment to co-star Jamie Borthwick using the term 'spit-roast'. In May, in an emotional Instagram message, Evans revealed he had been told by the BBC they were not renewing his one-year contract — which included him working with Gavin & Stacey actress Joanna Page on travel show All at Sea. It came despite both public and private support from Janette Manrara —who was said to be the subject of the spit-roast comment — as well as her husband Aljaz Skorjanec and Wynne's Strictly pro dance partner Katya Jones. Last week angry Evans blasted the BBC for 'lies and cover-ups' — claiming that the Corporation had been 'fundamentally flawed in its duty of care to him'. He also accused bosses of 'only caring about protecting themselves and their jobs and ratings'. In April The Sun on Sunday revealed EastEnders actor Borthwick had filmed a video of himself messing around with a sex toy in a Strictly Come Dancing live tour dressing room. He was later suspended by the Beeb over a slur against disabled people which was made on the Strictly set. Last year the BBC was beset with numerous crises on Strictly. Sherlock and Mr Selfridge actress Amanda Abbington revealed she had been diagnosed with PTSD after being paired with Pernice. Despite repeated claims against the Italian dancer from former partners including Laura Whitmore, the BBC did not take action until Amanda employed lawyers and issued a formal complaint. The Corporation found in her favour on a number of claims concerning verbal bullying and harassment by Pernice. As a result of the investigation — first revealed by The Sun — the Corporation's Director-General Tim Davie made an unprecedented apology to anyone who had suffered abusive behaviour during their time on the hit Saturday night programme.
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Laughing gas epidemic spreads to Majorca as urgent warning issued over ‘rampant' sale of party drug that scars Brits
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN epidemic of laughing gas abuse is spiralling out of control in Majorca, furious locals have warned. Dealers are flooding the island's party hotspots and leaving Brits at risk of seizures, permanent scars and even death. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 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 Magaluf's infamous Punta Ballena strip and Playa de Palma in the capital. 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. 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. 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 target young Brits as 'easy prey'. 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.'
