Arrgggggg!

It doesn't matter if they say it a thousand times, it doesn't make it so.

100 people were arrested for drug related offences at the Big Day Out yesterday.

Superintendent Brett Henderson says he is disappointed that so many people have brought drugs to the festival.

"Any type of illicit drug taking is a problem not just for the police, but for the community," he said.

"If these people are taking drugs and coming to this venue in this type of heat, not only have they committed crimes beforehand, but they place themselves and others at these sites at great risk."

They keep saying this, and yet they sell alcohol. When people take the kinds of drugs they take at festivals, they drink lots of water. They tend not to want alcohol, so when they are thirsty, they drink water. The law-abiding citizens who drink the exhorbitantly priced alcohol drink more beer when they are thirsty. I noticed no mention of the number of very messy people at the end of the day.

Illicit drug taking at music festivals is a problem imagined by politicians, and cared about only by police. There's nothing quite like Ecstasy to make sure a crowd of people look after each other. The same can't be said for booze. And I say that as a booze drinker myself. Although if I could buy myself some actual, dose controlled ekky for my one or two music festivals a year, there'd be little or no alcohol in my festival going experience.