Santa Cruz Carnival Opening Marked by Alcohol Abuse, Safety Incidents
The Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival's first major day highlighted significant health and safety challenges, with 68 people needing medical attention—17 hospitalized—largely due to severe alcohol poisoning among minors, alongside police fines and interventions for gender-based violence.
The first major day of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival once again highlighted the ongoing health and safety challenges at large events. Preliminary figures show that 68 people needed medical help at the Carnival's temporary hospital during the night of the Announcing Parade and the start of big dances in the Cuadrilátero area. Of these, 17 were sent to regular hospitals for more detailed checks or specialized care.
Excessive alcohol consumption was the main reason people needed help, affecting nearly half of those treated. The situation among minors was especially worrying: out of 16 young people who needed attention, 12 had severe alcohol poisoning or were in a coma. This highlights how urgent it is to address this problem at festive events. In total, 52 adults and 16 minors received assistance, made up of 40 males and 28 females. Besides alcohol poisoning, health services also dealt with injuries (10), assaults (5), falls (4), heart problems (3), allergic reactions (2), breathing issues (2), and other causes (2).
In terms of security, the Santa Cruz Local Police issued 25 fines. The most common offenses included possession of illegal drugs (14 fines), involvement in fights (4), and carrying bladed weapons like knives (2). Drones and the National Police's Air Unit provided aerial surveillance, supporting officers on the ground to respond quickly to incidents.
At the same time, the 'Purple Points' set up in the festival area proved important for preventing and responding to gender-based violence. At the point in Plaza de España, staff helped a group of five women. Three of them had been victims of sexist aggression by the same person, leading to the National Police being contacted.
Separately, the Announcing Parade itself had eight minor incidents. Most of the help (five cases) was for common health issues, with the others being for falls and minor injuries during the parade through the city streets. The security and emergency operation, managed from the Advanced Command Post, included teams from the Red Cross, Civil Protection (Santa Cruz and Güímar), the Fire Consortium, and various security forces. This operation will stay active for the upcoming busy nights.