The youth of today

By Jason Moore THE recently released crime figures in the Balearics show that there has been an increase in anti-social behaviour by young people. The police are having to deal with far more incidents of this type and there is growing concern within the local police forces. This, coupled with the recent outbreak of binge drinking both in Palma and in other parts of the island, should be ringing alarm bells within the local authorities. Binge drinking was almost unheard of in Spain until very recently but now it appears to have taken hold quite dramatically. This weekend one of the biggest binge drinking events of its kind is due to take place along Palma's Paseo Maritimo. Up until recently drinking straight from the bottle in the street was shunned in Spain, a pastime which many Spaniards thought would only be carried out by visiting tourists from Northern Europe. Unfortunately this state of affairs has changed and perhaps North Europe or even the USA should take some of the blame. What is interesting to note is that the youth of Spain is changing. The Church is deeply concerned, they have even started a campaign to target young people. Perhaps Spain's rapid development of the last few years into a major European power has meant that some of the poor unacceptable pastimes which are common place in other European countries have been exported here.