CLAMP DOWN ON THE DRUGS, NOT THE ENJOYMENT

SEX, drugs and rock 'n' roll... a well-worn description for the music
business and some would say a pop festival just wouldn't be the same
without these elements.

The vast majority of the estimated 35,000 people who will be heading
to Rock Ness this weekend will be there for the latter and to soak up
the party atmosphere in a unique setting. But it would be naive to
believe other than that a significant number will also enjoying the
show under the influence of substances both legal and illegal.

Northern Constabulary this week issued a warning to the thousands of
locals and bus, train and car loads of music fans heading to Dores
that extra monitoring will be in place to apprehend those with drugs.

On the face of it, it may appear a heavy-handed, party-pooper
approach -- especially taken in conjunction with figures obtained by
the Highland News which show there were many more drugs cases from
Rock Ness last year than at T in the Park which lasted twice as long
and attracted more than double the crowd.

Some will also argue that many of the drugs being taken are likely to
cause less harm than the alcohol that will be consumed in great quantities.

But that misses the point that while alcohol abuse should not been
condoned, booze is legal while drugs, soft or otherwise, are not. And
the tragic circumstances of last year in which a man died of a drug
overdose in a Rock Ness car park highlight the dangers involved.

While the first priority of the police on duty this weekend has to be
security and public safety, they are hardly going to turn a blind eye
to drugs misuse.

And there is a bigger target than just those in possession, as
instanced last year when nine dealers were arrested, including a Rock
Ness-related operation which netted two on the A9 who were last month
jailed for a total of five years after being caught with a
fair-sized stash which contained cocaine and ecstasy.

A zero tolerance policy has been promised to warn off major dealers
from the event.

Provided policing is carried out in a sensible manner befitting a
leisure event, then there are unlikely to be too many complaints from
the majority there to just have a good time.