Authorities Warn Against Drinking at High Altitudes During Ski Holidays

Authorities are beginning the winter holiday ski season early with warnings about drinking on holiday. Young Brits have been endangering themselves more and more often with binge drinking holidays to popular ski resorts such as the Alps.

When the first snowfall began to get heavy, skiers began keenly hitting the slopes. But the government is just as keen to encourage safe drinking and holiday habits for the upcoming school holidays. This binge drinking while on ski holiday has particularly become problematic in the French Alps.

Now, the UK and local authorities in France are aiming to crack down on young Brits drinking heavily while on holiday in the French Alps. Sir Peter Westmacott, the British ambassador to France, said that the UK would be launching a campaign to discourage binge drinking in conjunction with president of the Lyon Airport authority, Yves Guyon.

The campaign will consist of flyers being handed out in popular ski resorts outlining the dangers of binge drinking as well as advise for holiday insurance for Brits arriving on holiday. The French Alps usually accommodates about one million Brits each winter for skiing.

The campaign comes in the wake of the death of 20 year-old Durham University student, Rachel Ward, who died of hypothermia after getting lost on the way home from a pub. In light of the tragedy, the Foreign Office has begun more fervently educating young Brits on holiday of the dangers of drinking at high altitudes.

Westmacott said that the number of youths vacationing to the French Alps on drinking holidays has been increasing which has heightened the need to raise awareness on the dangers of drinking at high altitudes.