A few years ago, the Balearic Government launched a campaign that addressed the growing problems at the islands' fiestas. In translation the slogan for this was 'Don't Be An Ass'. Directly principally at young people, the government's concerns were with underage drinking, alcohol abuse and sexual assault.
On Thursday, the ministry of the presidency and public administration presented a new campaign - 'Festes segures; No perdis el cap' (Safe Fiestas; Don't Lose your Head). The concerns remain the same, but there have been further issues since the old campaign was launched - knife fights and the spiking of drinks most notably.
In presenting the programme, the minister, Antònia Estarellas, highlighted certain fiestas in particular - Soller's Es Firó in May, Ciutadella's Sant Joan in June and Pollensa's La Patrona in late July and early August. She and the campaign's coordinator, Rafel Covas, pointed out that the increasing popularity of certain fiestas has increased the risks.
Police tutors are to lead educational and preventive courses in schools, while local police officers are to be given further training in the control and management of large gatherings. Covas said: "We want the headlines for fiestas to state how well they went, not that there were three arrests." He added that there will be greater coordination between different authorities. "There are some fiestas that are starting to be too difficult for the municipalities alone to control."
Other initiatives will include a review of the security of venues and training for those who staff bars at fiestas. Special emphasis is to be placed on the prohibition of selling alcohol to minors, a situation that Covas acknowledged isn't always simple to control, e.g. if adults buy alcohol and give it to under-18s.