Getting pissed can spell danger on the pist

Ski-tourists cautioned to stay away from alcohol

Travel Insurance News - 10/12/2009

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The British are known for liking a drink or two while on holiday. However, when it comes to adventure sports such as skiing, when skill and concentration are needed in order to avoid getting seriously hurt, getting drunk can be extremely dangerous.

The rising number of alcohol related accidents and fatalities during the ski season in the French Alps has led the Foreign Office to launch a new campaign aimed at alerting British tourists to the risks of drinking alcohol at high altitudes.

More than a million British tourists binge drink on ski holidays each year and resorts in areas such as Val d'Isère, Meribel and Morzine have received a number of posters, fliers and beer mats alerting tourists to the dangers involved in drinking and skiing.

Sir Peter Westmacott, who is Britain’s ambassador to France, launched the campaign along with Yves Guyon, president of Lyon airport authority. In a recent interview he announced that: "There has been an increase in recent years in the number of people who have taken the mixture of booze and skiing as part of a package and got into trouble with it.”

Britain is known for its drinking culture and binge drinking is a particular problem at weekends and on holidays, when people take advantage of the break from work to really let their hair down.

Drinking alcohol at high altitudes is dangerous whether skiing or not, as people often feel drunk more quickly and are much less equipped to deal with the slippery ground and sub-zero temperatures while under the influence.

So when it comes to getting pissed on the pist, the general message is ‘just say no’.

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