By: Russ Spencer

The sirens wail through Ibiza’s narrow streets day and night, slicing through the traffic jams of summer tourists and weaving past throngs of beachgoers. At the wheel of one of the island’s overburdened ambulances is Pablo Roig, a 47-year-old technician, navigating his way to yet another call for help – this time, as is increasingly common, to a nightclub where a visitor has collapsed from drug-related distress.

“There are days when we’re so busy you can barely even stop to eat or have a coffee,” Roig told The New York Times in a candid interview emblematic of a mounting crisis.

The famed Mediterranean island, long celebrated for its vibrant nightlife and sun-soaked beaches, is facing a growing emergency that threatens the stability of its public health services. According to the report on Wednesday in The New York Times, local health workers and union representatives warn that Ibiza’s public ambulance system is nearing collapse under the weight of drug emergencies emanating from its legendary nightclubs.

During the high tourist season, more than a quarter of all ambulance dispatches on the island are tied directly to incidents in or around nightclubs. As The New York Times reported, many of these cases involve foreign tourists whose visits to Ibiza contribute to the island’s economic lifeblood but now also strain its critical services.

“Sometimes we go to the same nightclub three or four times in one night,” said José Manuel Maroto, a veteran ambulance worker and union representative. “There are nightclubs where we have to go to pick up an intoxicated patient every day.”

Ibiza, home to around 160,000 permanent residents, hosted approximately 3.3 million tourists last year – a staggering figure that underscores its role as a key driver of Spain’s tourism industry. Yet, as The New York Times report observed, the influx of visitors is not without consequences.

Across Europe, tensions surrounding overtourism have sparked protests in Spain, Italy, and Portugal, with locals voicing frustration over the strains placed on housing, infrastructure, and public services. Ibiza is no exception. The ambulance crisis now unfolding on the island represents a potent example of how the costs of mass tourism are increasingly borne by local communities.

Ibiza’s nightlife has been a magnet for revelers since the 1970 s, when the island’s first clubs drew crowds seeking an escape from the constraints of the Francisco Franco era. But the culture of partying has grown ever more commercialized – and with it, the associated risks have multiplied.

The financial stakes are high. General admission to Ibiza’s so-called “superclubs,” some of which accommodate up to 10,000 guests, can cost upwards of €100 (about $116). Drinks frequently sell for €25 apiece. For some partygoers, drugs present a cheaper alternative, even though their use is illegal.

The New York Times report cited Maroto, who has spent 32 years on ambulance duty, explaining that the easy availability of experimental drugs – coupled with the skyrocketing cost of nightlife – has fueled the current health crisis. Substances ranging from ecstasy, cocaine, and amphetamines to psychedelics and the increasingly popular ketamine are routinely used in Ibiza’s club scene, each wave of drug popularity forcing health workers into a reactive posture.

“It’s a bit of a game of cat and mouse,” Maroto told The New York Times. “They’re ahead of the curve, and we’re lagging behind, trying to figure out how to provide health care solutions for these types of patients.”

On any given summer night, eight ambulances and mobile intensive-care units circulate the island, responding to an average of 70 emergency calls. Calls involving nightclubs are particularly challenging, often labeled as “priority alerts” because they involve unconscious patients – cases with high risks of cardiac arrest or death.

Yet, as Roig explained to The New York Times, emergency responders frequently encounter resistance from club patrons wary of legal repercussions. “Sometimes we’re met with aggression, both physical and verbal,” Roig said. The necessity of stabilizing patients and transferring them to one of Ibiza’s two hospitals means that a single call can tie up ambulance crews for over an hour.

For residents, the consequences are tangible. Ibiza locals have expressed increasing frustration over long ambulance wait times, a grievance spotlighted in The New York Times report and echoed in recent broadcasts by Spain’s state television, Televisión Española. “It feels pretty bad – sometimes ambulances aren’t available,” one resident remarked in a televised segment, underscoring the growing public discontent.

The public health authority overseeing the Balearic Islands, including Ibiza, declined to comment on the issue when approached by The New York Times. Meanwhile, ambulance workers and their union are calling for immediate reforms.

At present, Ibiza’s nightclubs are legally obligated to have medical staff, including nurses, on-site. But Maroto and his colleagues believe this measure is no longer sufficient. The union is demanding that clubs be required to contract private ambulance services to handle incidents – a move intended to relieve the unsustainable burden on the island’s public health infrastructure.

“It’s unfair that nightclubs that earn millions of dollars per year are dumping this problem on the public health system,” Maroto told The New York Times. “In the end, the bill is paid by residents on the island.”

Some of Ibiza’s most prominent clubs have responded publicly to the controversy. Amnesia Ibiza, a historic venue with a 5,000-person capacity, stated that it employs health professionals “prepared to handle any incidents that may arise within the club.” The club noted that it summoned public ambulances only 19 times last year.

Pacha, another iconic club accommodating up to 3,000 guests, asserted that only two medical incidents this summer have required public ambulance services. Pacha affirmed its “commitment to easing the pressure on public services.”

Despite these assurances, frontline workers like Roig remain skeptical, emphasizing that the crisis persists regardless of individual club policies. “One is completely preventable,” Roig said in reference to drug-related calls.

The unfolding situation in Ibiza mirrors larger debates across Europe about the true cost of mass tourism. With local resources stretched thin, the tensions between economic benefits and public welfare have come into sharp relief.

Ibiza’s ambulance crisis highlights the unintended consequences of a tourism model reliant on unchecked nightlife and mass foreign visitation. As the island’s summer season peaks, the strain on health services serves as a stark reminder that the party may come at a higher price – one increasingly paid by those who call the island home.