We hope people enjoy themselves but they should also consider the potentially serious impact of taking drugs or drinking excessively
Cllr Richard Hobbs, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Community Protection
Warwickshire County Council’s Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) will be supporting Warwickshire Police at this weekend’s Global Gathering dance music festival at Long Marston airfield near Stratford.
Drug and alcohol arrest referral workers will be working with Police officers and providing information to festival goers about the dangers of drugs and excessive drinking during the two day event.
Cllr Richard Hobbs, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Community Protection, said: “We hope people enjoy themselves but they should also consider the potentially serious impact of taking drugs or drinking excessively.
“If it happens regularly, not only could it lead to implications on your long term health, it could also lead to problems with the Police.”
Warwickshire DAAT has this advice for a safer festival experience:
Alcohol
- Enjoy yourself but don’t over do it
- Keep hydrated throughout the day – drink plenty of water. If there are no free water taps then have a supply of bottled water
- Be aware of drink spiking – don’t leave drinks unattended, and discard any drinks that look or taste odd
- Remember drinking alcohol is illegal for under 18s and you may be asked for identification when buying alcohol
Drugs
- If you are offered drugs, remember you are under no obligation to buy them. Politely say no and walk away
- If you do take drugs and find yourself in trouble, go to one of the first aid tents for help
The Drug and Alcohol Action team are also backing a Warwickshire Police campaign to crack down on drugs at this year’s festival, which includes amnesty bins and passive drugs dogs on patrol - see www.tobyatglobal.com for more information.
Inspector Dave Patterson from Warwickshire Police said: "We always have a robust strategy in place to deter people from bringing drugs into Global Gathering. Once again we are providing amnesty bins at the entrance to allow people to dispose of any drugs they have with them.
"Anyone who chooses to ignore the bins and still has drugs in their possession will be detained and dealt with under the criminal justice system. Our aim is to protect people from harm and one of the ways we will do this at Global Gathering is by reducing the amount and availability of drugs."
If you have any questions regarding drugs and their affects, or are in need of support, information is available on the Warwickshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team website at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/drugs.