TEMPTATION ISLAND: BEHAVIOUR OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHEN VISITING. AN INTERNATIONAL DANCE RESORT. Karen Hughes, Helen Lowey and Mark A ...
Moving to the beat TEMPTATION ISLAND: BEHAVIOUR OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHEN VISITING AN INTERNATIONAL DANCE RESORT Karen Hughes, Helen Lowey and Mark A Bellis Liverpool John Moores University - UK Introduction The international growth in dance culture has led to increasing numbers of young people travelling to foreign countries to attend dance events. Among young British people one of the most popular night life resorts is the Spanish island of Ibiza, which is host to many famous club nights and dance events every summer. The risks to health associated with night time environments can be greater when people are abroad (Bellis et al, 2002). At the same time, risk taking behaviour among young people is thought to increase when they are away from home and free from normal social constraints and responsibilities. This paper presents results from a three year research project studying substance use and sexual behaviour among young British people who visit Ibiza during the summer months. Background Young people who attend dance events have been found to be more likely to use recreational drugs than the general population. Figure 1 shows results from two surveys conducted in the UK; the 2000 British Crime Survey (Ramsay et al, 2001) which represents the UK population as a whole and the Dancing on Drugs Survey (Release, 1997) which surveyed young people attending dance events in England. The British Crime Survey found that 22% of 16-29 year olds in the general population had used cannabis in the last 12 months, and that 5% had used ecstasy, 5% had used amphetamines and 5% had used cocaine. In comparison, 69% of clubbers in the Dancing on Drugs survey had taken or intended to take cannabis on the night of survey, while 51.4% had taken/intended to take ecstasy, 53.5% amphetamine and 27.1% cocaine.
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British Crime Survey 2000
80
Dancing on Drugs 1997
70 60 %
50 40 30 20 10 0 Cannabis
Ecstasy
Amphetamine
Cocaine
Drug Figure 1: Substance use in the general population and the clubbing population, UK
The growing trend for major dance event organisers to hold events in foreign locations has meant that more and more young people are attending dance events abroad (BBC, 2001). The Liverpool-based club night Cream, for example, has already held more than 280 dance events abroad (Liverpool Daily Post and Echo, 2001) and has more events planned as far afield as South Africa, South America and Australia. Although the names of such events may be familiar to dance tourists the conditions both inside and outside events may not be, and the risks to health associated with night time environments can be greatly increased when abroad (Bellis et al, 2002). For example, facing an unknown geography and potentially unknown language, people in need of assistance may have difficulty finding and accessing health services and communicating with health professionals. Similarly, different legislation may mean individuals are unaware of drink driving laws and penalties for possession of substances. For those drinking alcohol, larger measures and longer opening times may mean they unintentionally drink greater quantities of alcohol over a longer period of time, while individuals who buy drugs abroad will have to do so from an unknown supplier. Higher temperatures may lead people to become dehydrated, and a different cuisine and water supply may cause gastrointestinal infections which could also bring about dehydration. If individuals choose to take ecstasy, such dehydration places them at risk of neurotoxicity. Furthermore, unknown levels of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and difficulties with access to condoms may increase the risk of sexual health problems such as STIs or unwanted pregnancies. All of these risks may be exacerbated by changes in young people’s behaviour whilst on holiday due to reduced social constraints and levels of responsibility when away from home. Ibiza has a long-standing reputation as an international night life resort and is often cited as being one of the founding places of the modern dance scene
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(e.g. Garratt 1998). The island’s huge nightclubs and the presence of famous club nights and DJs during the summer season attracts thousands of young British people every year. Although the island has an endemic population of just 80,000, it has a throughput of around 1.5 million visitors during the summer months (Instituto de Estudios Turisticas, 2000). Almost half (44%) of visitors to the island are from the UK, many of whom are young people. To study the changes in risk behaviour of young people visiting an international dance resort, a three year research project has been undertaken among young people from the UK who have visited Ibiza. Methods A short, anonymous questionnaire was developed enquiring about substance use, including alcohol, tobacco and various illegal drugs, and about sexual behaviour both in the UK in the 6 months before visiting Ibiza and during the stay on the island. Respondents were also asked if they had received any information on drugs or sexual health whilst in Ibiza, whether they had seen a doctor or been to hospital on the island, and why they had chosen to visit Ibiza in the first place. The target sample size each year was between 500 and 1,000 respondents, and to reach the target population questionnaires were given out in Ibiza airport to young people as they waited to check in to fly home to the UK. Questionnaires were distributed between July and September in 1999, 2000 and 2001. Results Compliance in all three years of the survey was over 80%. Just over half (54.3%) of all respondents were male and the age range was from 15 to 35, with a mean age of 21.2 years. The mean age of males was slightly higher than that of females at 21.95 years compared with 21.11 years. Over 90% of people had spent either one or two weeks in Ibiza, which suggests that most people had visited the island for a holiday. Half of all respondents reported never having visited Ibiza before whilst for a quarter it was their second visit to the island. Music was the most common reason for visiting the island in all three years, being selected by around 70% of respondents (Figure 2). The second most popular reason for visiting the island was the weather, although the percentage of people choosing this option fell each survey year. Males were more likely to choose sex and drugs as reasons for visiting Ibiza than were women (P
