It is well know that alcohol lowers inhibitions and caused individuals to make decisions they otherwise would not engage in. To add to this alcohol also reduces threat awareness and motor control. Therefore the likelihood of an accident occurring whilst drunk is higher than when sober. Sadly for a British tourist in the French Alps this recently ended in tragedy. Louis Robertson, a 26 year old from Glasgow was found dead on Thursday morning following a night out. He was staying at a resort in La Plagne, in the Alpine Tarentaise valley. In the last few years many Brits have passed away following drink related accidents and injuries whilst on skiing and snowboarding holidays in the Alps. The current accident is thought to have been caused due to the 26 year old, slipping and falling into a freezing stream whilst trying to take a short cut from one bar to the next whilst on a night out with friends. He was not discovered sooner due to poor visibility, darkness and bad weather conditions having to postpone the search.
One of the main dangers of drinking in cold climates is that alcohol causes the body to have the illusion of being warmer than it is when in fact its temperature is plummeting; this is due to an increase in adrenalin levels. Whether or not drinking at a high altitude actually also causes the effect of alcohol to be of greater size is as yet unknown. Research on the topic is decidedly equivocal. This current accident has led to a reiteration of calls for British tourists to take extra care when drinking in the Alps. Holidays to this beautiful part of the world should not be ending in tragedy so often for individuals and their families. Campaigns have been run in the past to focus on the dangers of drinking in high altitudes and in freezing conditions – the sad fact is many tourists simply do not understand how large and how real the risks are.
Holiday accidents are extremely devastating and sometimes they occur due to individuals acting differently whilst on holiday to how they would in the UK and sometimes they occur due to individuals not adapting their behaviour to a new and unknown environment. This sad accident appears to be a case of the former rather than the latter. Brits need to understand the dangers of alcohol and the dangers of the Alpine environment. Raised awareness should end up leading to reduced accidents.