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INSIDE SPAIN

Inside Spain: Meds to avoid during heatwaves and Ibiza’s quiet summer

In this week’s Inside Spain we look at why Spanish pharmacists are advising customers to be careful when taking certain medications during heatwaves and why Ibiza is receiving far fewer tourists than usual this summer. 

Published: 3 August 2024 12:04 CEST
Inside Spain: Meds to avoid during heatwaves and Ibiza’s quiet summer
No one is exactly sure why there are fewer tourists in Ibiza this summer. (Photo by JAIME REINA / AFP)

Up to 711 people in Spain died during July 2024 as a result of the extreme heat the country experienced, according to data published on Friday by the Carlos III Health Institute.

In the vast majority of cases, it’s elderly people with pre-existing health conditions who lose their lives due to this heat exposure, the cocktail of meds and heat acting in negative and often unexpected ways.

It is estimated that around half of the medicines dispensed in pharmacies may be affected by heatwaves and require special attention. That’s 7,500 according to Spain’s Community of Pharmacies. 

In most cases these already require refrigeration in normal weather, so make sure to always check the medication’s instructions. 

Then there are medications that even though properly preserved can have negative effects on people’s health during heatwaves.

First, it’s important to understand how the body handles heat and strives to maintain the ideal body temperature of 36.5 to 37C.

To cool down, the body either sweats (it evaporates from the skin to cool down the body) and it dilates blood vessels under the skin (to bring warm blood closer to the skin so it can release heat).

However, a number of different medications can disrupt this complex thermoregulation system by limiting the body’s ability to sweat or reduce blood flow to the skin. They can also cause dehydration, and some may make the skin more sensitive to sunlight, leading to rashes or sunburn.

Below are eight types of medications that you should be careful to take during heatwaves.

Heart medications: Diuretics, beta blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) and antiplatelets.

Antidepressants: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants.

Antipsychotics for mental health problems: risperidone, quetiapine, haloperidol, olanzapine 

Central nervous system stimulants for ADHD: dextroamphetamine, methamphetamine and methylphenidate.

Anticholinergics for Parkinson’s disease and an overactive bladder: benztropine, oxybutynin and tolterodine.

Antihistamines for seasonal allergies, insect bites, and bee stings: diphenhydramine.

Decongestants for the common cold and allergies: pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine, oxymetazoline nasal spray.

Dopaminergic, also for Parkinson’s disease: carbidopa and levodopa.

Of course, in most cases it’s essential that people taking any of these medications continue to do so regardless of the weather, but it’s more important than ever that you take precautions to stay cool, hydrated and out of the sun during heatwaves. 

Now onto something completely different. Ibiza is having an unusually quiet summer so far in terms of tourists, and hoteliers and shop owners are not entirely sure what the main cause is. 

Two factors spring to mind. First, the iconic holiday destination of the rich and famous is getting a bit too pricey for the average Joe Tourist.

A local government study found that the main complaint tourists on the Balearic island had were Ibiza’s high prices (47 percent), costing around €196 a day and €1,662 on average per holiday. 

And in high season it reaches another level, as holidaymakers pay around €1,000 for two nights at a three star hotel.

Want to somewhat imitate the Hollywood celebs and world famous DJs? Two Italian influencers recently found out the hard way that accessing a trendy beach club set them back €200 just for the sunbeds and compulsory bottle of champagne, and another €200 for lunch.

The second cause that could be influencing the lacklustre arrival of tourists in peak season are the recent protests against mass tourism. 

The big ones have been in Barcelona, Tenerife and in Palma in neighbouring Mallorca, but Ibiza has also held its own demonstrations against the impact tourism has on residents’ lives.

In fact, just last Monday, a dozen protesters gathered at the famous es Vedrà lookout point calling for a change of tourism model. 

However, there is no evidence yet that the the negative media coverage of Spain’s biggest over-tourism protests have dissuaded tourists from coming this summer, so perhaps it’s the eye-watering prices that are largely to blame.

Even though the summer season is far from over, and the Olympic Games could be playing a part in the low numbers, the head of Ibiza and Formentera’s Hospitality Association Miguel Tur told Spanish news agency EFE that “the market could be readjusting”.

Does this mean that Ibiza has gotten too expensive for its own good? If you ask the thousands of people who work there and are forced to live in caravans because they can’t afford to rent a small flat, the answer is certainly a resounding yes.

READ MORE: Spain’s Balearics struggle to fill job vacancies due to exorbitant rents

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INSIDE SPAIN

Inside Spain: New tourist taxes and the problem of depopulation

In this week's Inside Spain we look at the situation of tourist taxes and the problem of depopulation in the country.

Published: 14 September 2024 10:54 CEST
Inside Spain: New tourist taxes and the problem of depopulation

So-called overtourism has caused a lot of anger in Spain this year with protests in the Balearic Islands, Canaries, Barcelona and Málaga. While there have been many ideas to try and curb the amount of visitors to the country and benefit more from the ever-increasing  numbers, one of the least popular has been the introduction of tourist taxes. 

Currently, tourist taxes have only been introduced in Spain in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. They were also introduced and then scrapped in the Valencia Community. 

Last week Asturias’ left-wing regional government, formed by the PSOE and IU, announced that it intends to impose a tourist tax on visitors too.

Asturias received a record 2.7 million visitors in 2023 and experts believe it will be even higher in 2024.

It aims to offset the increased costs of running public services in places with more visitors, but crucially it will be up to each individual town hall in Asturias to decide whether to charge tourists the tax or not.

Popular towns in Asturias such as Cudillero, Cangas de Onís and Valdés have already shown interest in introducing the tax, although authorities in the region’s two main cities, Oviedo and Gijón, are against it.

There will also be an increase in tourist taxes in Barcelona. Currently, tourists to the Catalan capital pay two types of taxes – one to the region and one to the city. 

City tax, which is charged for up to seven nights stands at €3.25 per night, but from October 2024, this will go up to €4 per night, which is an increase of €0.75. They will pay this municipal tourist tax regardless of whether they stay in a bed and breakfast, on a cruise ship or in five-star hotel.

On top of this visitors will also have to pay tax on stays in tourist establishments of the Generalitat. This ranges from €1 per person per night for stays in hotels with less than four stars and up to €3.50 per night for 5-star establishments.

This means that from this autumn, tourists to Barcelona will end up pay between €5 and €7.50 per night.

There has been so much talk of overtourism in Spain lately that many forget the other side of the story – the parts of the country that are empty. 

Recently, one of the most underpopulated regions in Spain, Extremadura, made headlines when it said it would pay digital nomads to move there, helping to increase the population and jump-start local economies. 

The rural depopulation of Spain’s ‘interior’ has long been a socioeconomic and demographic problem

According to Spain’s National Institute of Statistics (INE), approximately 22 million Spaniards live in the 100 most populated municipalities in Spain. This means that around half of the total Spanish population is concentrated in four percent of the national territory.

Over the last decade, 6,232 municipalities have seen their population decline. This equals three out of every four municipal areas.

Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Extremadura and Aragón are the parts of Spain where this depopulation is felt the most. Here, many people move away from the countryside and smaller towns in search of employment, better paid jobs and where they can find more opportunities. 

Depopulation affects everything from the lack of banking and healthcare services to local economies and the social fabric of these rural societies. 

In another news story that caught our eye, the Balearic Island of Formentera will be hosting what it calls “the only Zero Wastefestival in the world” from October 4th to 6th. 

While other festivals also claim to sustainable, the SON Estrella Galicia Posidonia event was recently awarded TRUE Zero Waste Platinum certification. Working with local partners, it is open to only 350 people and offers its guests a chance to discover the island through activities and guided walks – committed to a zero waste policy with a focus on reduction and reuse.

The event offers a programme of musical performances, a tasting menu curated by a Michelin Star chef and activities across different parts of the island, which will remain secret until October 4th. Tickets can be bought here.

The festival aims to raise awareness of the protection of Posidonia meadows around the island.

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