Passive drugs dogs have a guaranteed ticket to all major music festivals in Hampshire, including the Isle of Wight Festival and Bestival. The dogs are deployed to use their specialist skills to detect people trying to get in to the festival site with illegal drugs on them.
If you come down to the woods today you’re in for a big surprise…Well, maybe not the woods, but if you come to a festival in Hampshire or the Isle of Wight with drugs on you, then a nasty surprise is exactly what you’ll be in for.
Passive Drugs Dog Operation
Up to ten passive drugs detection dogs will be on duty for the entire duration of the festival, providing 24 hour coverage of all points of entry. The dogs are trained to locate and indicate on the wide spectrum of controlled substances and their derivatives.
They are trained to indicate on the smallest amount of a particular drug and may even indicate on your clothing if you have been in the presence of someone else using the drugs. If a dog indicates to you, it could result in you being taken away for a search – which could include having to show the assembled officers that naff set of underwear your Nan gave you for Christmas.
A strip search is a possible outcome of a positive indication; this is both embarrassing for you and not a pleasant task for the searching officers.
Caught carrying drugs? So what?
Depending on the amount of drugs found on you it may result in your arrest and a subsequent criminal record plus immediate ejection from the rest of the festival.
If you find yourself with a drugs conviction as a result of a positive indication, don’t bank on taking that dream holiday to Orlando or being able to hang out in a great club in New York - you stand a high chance of being denied entry to the USA if you have a drugs conviction.
There will be other officers and resources used during the festival period - some may be more visible than others. There will also be completely independent highly-trained drugs counsellors available for you to speak to.
Drug Amnesty Bins 
There will be clearly marked drugs amnesty bins on the approach to the festival entry points. These are there for you to deposit any and all illegal drugs you may have on you. If you do this, you will not be spoken to regarding their use and, best of all, you get to experience the festival from inside the site, instead of just hearing about it after the event from your mates who were actually allowed in!
Zero Tolerance
If you are under the impression that the police will turn a blind eye to low level use then you are mistaken. There will be a zero tolerance policy with regards to possession of controlled substances. You have been warned – if you get caught bringing drugs to the festival or ignore the amnesty bins you can get yourself:
- arrested
- a criminal record
- ejected from the site.
It isn’t rocket science, don’t bring drugs onto the festival site, or be prepared for the consequences.
Don’t spoil your own fun
The police are not there to hinder your entry into the site or to ruin your festival experience, we want you to have a fantastic time, and we are there to make sure that every festival-goer has an equal opportunity to enjoy the experience in a safe and drug free environment.
