‘The Electric Picnic effect’ sees Laois drugs arrests rise 625%

As well as increasing revenue for the county, Electric Picnic has also contributed to a slightly more unsavoury increase in local figures: drugs.

At this week’s meeting of the Joint Policing Committee meeting in Laois County Hall, it was revealed that drug possession in County Laois is up a whopping 625 per cent, from 28 to 203, from July to August, 2017, to the same period this year. Drug possession for sale or supply is up 122 percent, from 23 to 51.

However, Chief Superintendent John Scanlon emphasised that this increase is due to Electric Picnic and does not reflect on the county in general. “This is the Electric Picnic effect. Electric Picnic is not in the figures for 2017, but is for 2018. But what does this say about County Laois? Very little, if anything at all. It’s an event which by its nature is going to have a certain amount of drugs being used and abused,” he said.

He added that the amount of drugs seized is a measure of garda activity, with a significant cohort of undercover gardaí employed at the Picnic. By taking away a certain amount of drugs, the gardaí reduce the risk to young people.

“But we don’t delude ourselves that we’re taking it all away. I’m reluctant to hang my hat on those figures as being a reflection of County Laois,” he said.

See pages 10-11