Authorities have stepped up breathalyser and drug testing, checkpoints and targeted patrols over the festive
period to curb impaired driving.
Key Points
- Increased breathalyser and roadside drug testing at checkpoints during the holiday period.
- Targeted patrols concentrate on nightlife, event hotspots and areas with high festive activity.
- Campaign aims to lower alcohol- and drug-related traffic incidents amid increased socialising.
- A Santa cartoon previously tied to the operation was not found in the artist’s published archive and doesn't affect the campaign.
Police have launched a Christmas campaign to curb drink- and drug-impaired driving, stepping up roadside checks and enforcement as the holiday period begins. Authorities say the measures aim to reduce traffic incidents linked to alcohol and drug use during a time of increased social gatherings and travel.
The operation includes intensified breathalyser and drug tests at checkpoints and targeted patrols in areas with high festive activity. Officials describe the campaign as part of routine seasonal efforts to lower risks on the roads and deter impaired driving, with additional resources deployed to patrol known nightlife and event hotspots.
Earlier reports suggested a cartoon by Helena Anillo — allegedly showing officers asking Santa Claus to take a breathalyser test — had been linked to the policing campaign. Altaveu’s archive, however, shows Anillo published vignettes on 14 December 2025 ("Govern fa el mim") and 15 December 2025 ("Il·luminats") that respond to other topics: the first illustrating perceived government silence amid accusations related to the Cycling Masters, the second commenting on decorative lighting of historic bridges. Neither piece includes or corroborates the Dec. 11 Santa image attributed to her.
Given Altaveu’s published pieces, initial suggestions that Anillo’s cartoons promoted or referenced the police campaign are unsubstantiated unless further evidence links the artist’s work to the Dec. 11 image. The underlying police operation and its enforcement measures remain as reported and have not been contradicted by the clarification about the cartoons.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: