It's official: britain opposes fun

[RB TexLa]

Britain urged Greece Thursday to ban organised "bar-hopping" tours and clamp down on doctored drinks to help stop young British tourists getting into alcohol-related trouble, officials said.


British holidaymakers account for about a fifth of the 15 million tourists a year who visit Greece, one of Europe's top holiday destinations. But young Britons have gained notoriety for drunken, violent and sometimes indecent behaviour.

Police officials from both countries met on the island of Zakynthos to discuss the problem Thursday. Britain has already urged young tourists not to drink too much while on holiday in Greece.

"The British police officials called for more controls on bars to prevent drink adulteration and the illegal sale of alcohol to minors, and asked police to use less violence when arresting drunken tourists," said a Greek police official who declined to be named.

British embassy officials declined to comment.



http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20090723/tpl-uk-greece-tourism-4b8df73.html

[SmileyRose]

1. drink adulteration?

I hate it when my drink cheats on me. :)

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Why do they expect British tourists to restrict themselves on holiday,

let alone inconsistently with their own neighborhood pubs?

[theHandpuppet]

3. Monkey see, monkey do

http://www.ardrossanherald.com/news/smilesbetter/articles/2009/07/07/388296-alcoholic-monkeys/

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. "the common practice in Greek bars of lacing drinks with industrial spirit"

Hotels and bars in destinations such as Mallorca, Turkey and Crete are stockpiling leaflets, cards and posters produced by the Foreign Office that entreat tourists to "know their limits". The literature also warns that falling foul of the law can be costly and dangerous. In Greece, where young British tourists account for more than 70% of consular cases, messages such as "drinking makes you more vulnerable to violent crime" have been put on beer mats and frisbees.
...
Bryant, who held talks with tour operators in Corfu to promote the Another Side to Paradise campaign there, said he was especially worried about young women on their first trips abroad. Many had proved vulnerable to sexual assault, not least from fellow Britons.

In Greece, where British women are more likely to be raped than anywhere else in the world, according to government data, pocket cards will warn about date rape drugs, with the admonishment: "Don't get spiked! Keep an eye on your drinks."
...
UK holidaymakers were not always at fault for the drunken debauchery with which they have often come to be identified, insisted Bryant. "A lot of countries share the same problems, but in Greece adulterated alcohol is a real concern," he said, referring to the common practice in Greek bars of lacing drinks with industrial spirit. The effects have been likened by doctors to a "small bomb going off in the brain". He is now calling for a clean-up by the authorities.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/jul/19/official-alert-boozy-brits-abroad

Sound like fun to you?