Crotch that Molly: Ways Drugs are Smuggled into Music Festivals

As long as large-scale music festivals have existed, from the iconic Woodstock to the seaside Treasure Island Music Festival in San Francisco, festival-goers have found ways to sneak illegal substances onto the premises. 

Looking to avoid the negative publicity that comes with sending kids to hospitals or rehab centers every year, music festival staff members have become ever-vigilant in the hunt for the illegal drugs festival attendees attempt to bring with them. As such, festival-goers have had to become more creative. Here are a few methods to watch out for.

Drugs on Your Person

One of the most widely-used methods of transporting illegal substances into a music festival is also the least creative: hiding drugs in one’s underpants. That can get a little hairy, so potential drug users can also tape their substance of choice to the inside of their leg, hide it in their shoes or socks, or stick it in their bras. Got a voluminous head of hair? It won’t hide drugs from employees at rehab centers in San Francisco or elsewhere, who are trained to look for these tricks.

Camping Accessories

When heading to a campout festival such as the Hangtown Halloween Ball in San Francisco-area Berkeley, CA, illegal substances are often stuffed inside otherwise-innocuous-looking camping gear. Hiding a drug in a deodorant roller, a flashlight’s battery compartment, or a hallowed-out tampon are resourceful methods that festival staff members should be sure to check before festival-goers go to rehab centers via the emergency room.

Other Creative Methods

It turns out a clean sunscreen bottle makes a great flask. Boxes of Altoids can easily disguise ecstasy pills, and an inhaler can be modified for use as a vaporizer. Hollowed-out pens and secret compartments in everything from lighters to jewelry make for a quick and easy way to pass small amounts of a substance through festival security. However, drug dogs can find still sniff these out.

For many festival attendees from Coachella to Bottlerock in Napa Valley, south of San Francisco, drug use is just another part of the fun. But for others, it can result in admittance to rehab centers. Stay safe and exercise caution at music festivals to ensure nobody ends up at the hospital.

Natalie Benoy is a health writer reporter for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Miramar Recovery Center. Follow on Twitter