LIVE: Gardaí arrest a number of people for driving under the influence at Electric Picnic

Pictured: File photoplaceholder image
Pictured: File photo

Authorities also warned of dangerous drugs as pills tested more potent than any in the past three years at the festival

Gardaí have arrested a number of motorists for driving under the influence in and around the Electric Picnic festival in Laois yesterday, August 29.  

In total, four drivers were arrested after failing roadside tests on Friday and gardaí are again warning people not to drive under the influence of drink or drugs. 

They are advising people that they will be conducting checkpoints throughout the festival targeting drug and drink driving. 

Meanwhile, Gardaí have confirmed that traffic is flowing freely to and from the site today, saying the traffic plan is working well and there are no issues with car parks. 

Separately, Gardaí are urging festivalgoers to be careful after dangerous drugs were detected by the HSE’s testers onsite. 

The HSE has issued an alert on Friday night due to extremely potent MDMA tablets circulating at the Electric Picnic. 

They say the “high strength MDMA pills” at Electric Picnic pose “extreme risk” and contain up to 300mg - or three times the adult dose.

“It’s safer not to use drugs at all. You can never be sure of the contents or purity,” the HSE warned.

Under the tagline, ‘start slow, go slow,’ the HSE warned festivalgoers that it was safer not to use drugs at all but said if people were using they should be careful.

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