T in the Park warns of clamp down on legal highs

The organisers of T in the Park have announced they will be clamping down on traders who sell substances that create 'legal highs' citing fears that they could lead to a spate of deaths at this summer's event which takes place at Balado in Perthshire, and runs from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th July.

People wishing to sell mephedrone and other legal party drugs will be banned from T In The Park and festival goers will have such substances confiscated Promoters DF Concerts have warned.

DF Concerts said, "Drugs are no more acceptable at T in the Park than they are anywhere else and the same risks and penalties apply.

"Our ongoing planning process with event police and medical teams will address any change of status with regard to 'legal highs', but, at present, our ongoing instruction to vendors is the same as in previous years – these substances are not permitted for sale at T in the Park.

"Organisers will work closely with those responsible for vending at the festival to address any breach of this instruction on site. In addition, if any ticket holder is found to have these substances in their possession during random bag searches, they will be confiscated."

The hard-line approach comes after mephedrone and related party drugs were implicated in the death of 19-year-old Jordan Kiltie, from Ayr, and several other young people across the UK.

DF Concerts will not allow any mephedrone to be brought into either the campsite or the arena and will monitor vendors selling clothing, food and merchandise at the event. Plainclothes officers and specialist drugs dogs will be in operation, and DF Concerts has confirmed that anybody found with mephedrone by staff will have it confiscated.

The drug Mephedrone is widely avail­able online as plant food, and is commonly known as meow meow, moonshine, bubbles or M-cat. Mephedrone is either swallowed or snorted, and has a similar effect to ecstasy – producing euphoria, alertness, talkativeness and feelings of empathy. Reported side-effects range from headaches and vomiting to bleeding gums.

Drug amnesty bins will also be placed at the entrance to T in the Park campsites allowing the disposal of any illegal or banned substances.

Revellers at T in the Park can rest assured though that the legal drug and sponsor of the festival, alcohol, which is responsible for killing one in 20 Scots according to Scottish Government figures (here), will still be readily available, so one legal drug is very acceptable at T.

They festival will feature a line-up that will see over 180 artists playing over 11 stages with headliners Kasabian, Muse and Eminem joined by Black Eyed Peas, Biffy Clyro, Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Dizzee Rascal, Faithless, Florence And The Machine, Jay-Z, Madness, Jamie T, Paolo Nutini, Stereophonics, The Prodigy, The Temper Trap, The View, Vampire Weekend, and more. For the line-up details as available please click here.

Tickets for this year's T in the Park have already sold out.

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