Minors, parties, and alcohol: “I go wherever I want and nibble on whatever I want.”

PalmIt's been just over a week since Marta and Laura (not the real names of these 15-year-olds) managed to get into a popular nightclub in Magaluf. They say the security staff at the door were worried about whether they were from Mallorca because they had bought a residents' ticket. So they said a few phrases in Catalan and let them in without checking their ID to see if they were underage. Inside, they drank alcoholic beverages without anyone noticing that they might not be of legal age. They had a great time, they say, and laugh at how easy it is to go everywhere without having to explain their age.

"You could say I go wherever I want and I nibble on whatever I want. I go to places I shouldn't be," says Marta, who, like so many other teenagers, has a PDF on her phone with a fake ID that says she just turned 18. She also worries about how she dresses and wears makeup to look older than her 15 years, and she knows the areas where it's easiest to sneak into and drink alcohol. "At the Marítimo, I've had people offer me entry into bars. There are bouncers who've told me that if I say their name at the bar, they'll buy me a shot. I order a drink and it's like nothing's happening. This happens all the time," she explains, adding that her mother would scold her if she knew. She explains that the "most responsible" security personnel she's encountered ask for her age. "They ask us if we're 18, and we say yes. Then they don't check anything," she notes.

The most commonly used drug

Alcohol is the most commonly used drug by young people aged 14 to 18 in Spain. Teenagers in the Canary Islands start drinking at an average age of 14 (13.9 in Spain) and there is a significant difference between the sexes: 55.6% of young women have drunk in the last month, seven points higher than the 48.4% of boys, according to data from the2024 Report on Alcohol, Tobacco, and Illegal Drugs in Spain from the Ministry of Health. The report also indicates that minors tend to consume alcohol in bars and pubs (52.8%), nightclubs (47.8%), open public spaces (47.5%), friends' houses (45.3%), and their own homes (28.2%). Furthermore, nine out of ten adolescents report that it is easy to obtain alcoholic beverages.

"In the Balearic Islands, as in the rest of Spain, there is a lot of permissiveness regarding alcohol consumption, which is normalized among young people and adolescents. It's considered a ritual toward adulthood and is a factor in integrating into the group," comments UIB Sociology professor David Abril. "If you don't drink, it seems like you're not part of the group, and there's social pressure for you to do so," he adds, while emphasizing that tourism "further normalizes" the presence of minors in nightclubs and alcohol consumption in the Balearic Islands. "Alcohol has a market, and adults and the government tend to look the other way," he says.

Like Marta, Laura assures that she drinks whatever she wants, "especially at village festivals." "I also go to clubs without any problems. I've been arrested very rarely, and at the bars, I've never been asked for my ID," he notes, while acknowledging that she has had "a scare" on occasion. "I've felt traumatized, and I've also seen friends go through a terrible time. I'll tell my kids not to do it and to wait until they're older. Not to be like me, who started when I was 13," she continues, adding that she also vapes. "If I were an adult, I would think it was really bad," she admits.

Regarding the purchase of alcoholic beverages, Laura explains that it's impossible to do so in large supermarkets belonging to well-known chains because "they immediately ask for a physical ID." Instead, she usually shops in "small shops," where they don't check one's age.

"Depending on the time of day, small shops have no problem selling alcohol to minors. Young people look for ways to drink as much and as cheaply as possible," says the president of Consubal, Alfonso Rodríguez, who criticizes the fact that, despite the regulations, "there is no greater care" to prevent minors from drinking. "In Magaluf, there are a number of places where the ban on them entering and drinking is completely ignored," he continues, recalling the case of Mano's, which the Calvià City Council closed for a year because a 12-year-old doll was found drunk inside the establishment, which later reopened. "In tourist areas, where young tourists flock, pubs and nightclubs outrageously flout the obligation not to admit minors," Rodríguez points out. Young people aged 16 and over can attend evening galas where no alcoholic beverages are allowed. In fact, Consubal regularly receives reports from parents who know their children have entered establishments reserved for adults. "We filed a complaint in 2023, and it was useless," he says.

Rodríguez points out that bars and pubs must pay between €150,000 and €200,000 in fines each year for allowing and selling alcohol to minors. "The authorities impose sanctions, but businesses appeal and they take time to be effective. In any case, the establishments anticipate how much they will have to pay," he comments.

ARA Baleares traveled to Magaluf and spoke with the security staff at the nightclub where Marta and Laura had gone. Initially, they flatly denied that minors enter, but when they learned that two 15-year-olds had entered, they acknowledged that sometimes "they sneak in." They also explained that there have been times when the company has applied a lot of pressure to prevent minors from entering. "There were times when we sent three minors each week to the Civil Guard barracks and they complained," they noted, adding that "it's a matter of finding a balance" between allowing them in or not. The nightlife association declined to answer our questions.

ARA Baleares also attempted to speak with a representative of the Calvià Local Police, but the City Council has not found anyone to contact due to a change of leadership. Municipal sources indicate that checks are carried out "periodically and randomly," but also admit that "this cannot be controlled as such." "Popular festivals are easier to monitor," they add.

In the case of Palma, the City Council reminds that the Local Police can act ex officio, without any specific complaint, in the case of minors who consume alcohol—the Green Patrol can also intervene. However, the minors who participated in this report indicated that they regularly consume alcohol in establishments on the seafront promenade.

"They have it easier"

Juan is 17 years old, and his first contact with alcohol was at 15. "I started drinking regularly when I was 16," he says. This young man asserts that "they drink more than us" and that they have it "easier." "It's even annoying. They have much less trouble getting into places for adults," he criticizes, a situation that Consubal corroborates. "The bars don't usually give the girls any trouble, because they think they attract male customers," says Alfonso Rodríguez.

"When I go out with just friends, they let us in without any problem wherever I am. But if there are male friends in the group, they often stop them," explains Marta. "It's easier for girls to get in anywhere," he reiterates, while Laura nods in agreement.

Juan has witnessed some acquaintances suffer alcohol comas. "Some nights the ambulance has had to come. I see the dangers of alcohol every time I go out partying," he continues. In his case, he has opted for moderate consumption after a scare. "One night I ended up vomiting and it was really bad for me," he comments. This young man knows that there is no such thing as a good amount of alcohol and that even if you drink a little, it is harmful. "There is no reason to drink. Young people find themselves in situations where alcohol makes us happier and we have a good time with friends. I have acquaintances who, without alcohol, are very introverted and need it to socialize and overcome embarrassment," he explains. And what would Juan do if he had children who drank? "I would understand that, if they are 16 or 17, I can't prevent it. But if they are young, 14 or so, I would take measures to prevent them from doing it," he notes.

Rodríguez is committed to talking to young people. "Often, parents don't even notice because their children arrive at dawn and are asleep. We have to explain to them how bad alcohol is," says the president of Consubal. Rodríguez explains that minors use all kinds of strategies to gain entry to bars and clubs. "I've seen an adult enter who paid the ticket. Then they left, they put a stamp on his hand, and he and a minor held arms outside so the minor could also get the stamp. That's how they get in without paying," he explains. He also criticizes the fact that large clubs need to attract a lot of people to make a profit, so the larger the venue, the more lax the controls.