We could spend the time it takes to get a turbulent budget airline flight to Kos analysing why Brits always behave so badly abroad. But let’s spare a moment of actual sympathy for the club reps in Malia, Crete (that’s an island in cash-strapped Greece, by the way). You see, the Eurozone crisis has left them so skint, they can’t afford to treat their STIs.
One 21-year-old said: ‘It’s around £15 for the antibiotics — I won’t be able to pay my rent if I spend that.’
At first, you might think, ‘Wow, that’s actually a horrible situation. Young people want to go and work for the summer to pay their way through some fun times but are now hemmed in by a financial crisis that’s not got much to do with them.’
But, as The Sun’s ‘Malia Mole’ found, a lot of those with STIs don’t seem to care because…
You can just wait to get your STIs treated for free back home?
‘It’s cheaper to just stick with them and get them sorted by the NHS for free when I get home. Last year I ended up with the clap, but I didn’t get rid of it until the following March when I got back,’ said one rep.
Getting an STI is like a trophy??
One 21-year-old girl said: ‘I don’t give a fuck. Some boys are worried about getting STIs, but others see them as a trophy.’
While Joe, a 22-year-old plasterer, said: ‘It wouldn’t be Malia without catching some sort of disease. You catch it, then you spread it about and if you were to get rid of it, you’d just end up re-catching it. It’s not worth getting rid of it. It’s like a trophy — you’ve got to catch something while you’re here.’
**It’s fun to share them with mates??? **
Joe added: ‘Last year I was sharing a girl with one of my mates and we both caught it. Sharing’s caring.’
No wonder John Krasakis, a local pharmacist, is worried. Not just about sexual health, but the resort in general: ‘Things have really slowed down. I do sell condoms, Viagra and medication for STIs, but it can be very expensive and many tourists don’t have their insurance.
‘Years ago I’d be packed and so would the strip. The bars would be full and costs were much lower. Now things have changed and times are tough for everyone. Everyone seems to be having fun, but I’m not sure how much longer Malia, as a party resort, will be around.’
Meanwhile, Vicki, who moved from Nottingham to Malia to work as a barmaid, became a stripper two years ago. While she used to get £40 per dance, she now gets £15 per dance: ‘This is the best money to earn working in Malia but it is so, so quiet and people aren’t spending as much as they used to, so workers like myself are struggling.
‘I don’t want to be thrusting my body in teenagers’ faces but this is the best money for me to earn. It also means I don’t need to live in squalor and can live on my own in a nicer apartment while I’m out here. But I probably won’t be back next year.’
As tourism to Greece has suffered a 40% dip, it seems as if the only thing to remain of Malia come 2016 will be the memories, the misguided tattoos, the neon lights and the potentially life-destroying STIs.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.