Multi agency partners encourage personal health and safety ahead of RockNess 2011

With just one week to go until the largest music festival in the Highlands sees tens of thousands of people flock to the shores of Loch Ness for RockNess 2011, multi agency partners are issuing advice ahead of the event to encourage attendees to make the most of the weekend.

David Haas, The Highland Council's Inverness City Manager,  welcomed the sixth RockNess festival back to the area. He said: "We are delighted to see the event return for its sixth year and how it is grown to become a major event in Scotland's music calendar. The multi agency group has been working with the organisers since last year to ensure RockNess 2011 is a safe and enjoyable event for all who attend."

The last two years have seen reductions in crime and medical incidents over the duration of the weekend, but partners are insisting they are not being complacent.

Partners are urging those attending to improve their health and safety by preparing for the event; taking small measures such as ensuring they have all medication they require, taking a water carrier, sun lotion and contraceptives, as well as not taking any unnecessary risks whilst at the festival.

Iain MacKay, Resilience Advisor for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: "We saw a reduction in the number of casualties taken onwards to Raigmore Hospital last year and we hope to see that trend continue this year. Simple things such as making your friends aware of medication that you¿re taking, making sure you have enough to last the weekend, taking enough sunscreen to last the weekend, and keeping hydrated, whether it is sunny or not, will help you stay healthy at RockNess 2011."

Rachel Evans, Event First Aid Manager from British Red Cross furthered this to say: "If we experience the good weather of previous years festival goers should remember that they ate outside the majority of the time, so by keeping an empty water bottle, refilling at the well marked taps on site and using sun cream can really make the difference to an individuals welfare at the event. At the end of the day all partners want those attending to come and have a safe, enjoyable time."

Lorraine Mann, NHS Highland Senior Health Promotion Specialist for Sexual Health and Young People, said: "Take care of your sexual health at RockNess - male or female, straight or gay, on the pull or determined not to get entangled - don't forget to take condoms and dams with you. We hope all your RockNess souvenirs will be positive ones - not positive test results."

Suzy Calder, who is Substance Misuse Strategy and Implementation Manager for the Highland Alcohol and Drugs Partnership, said festival goers should remember to drink plenty of water, to eat well and to avoid taking unnecessary risks when it comes to alcohol and drugs.

She said: "We want people attending RockNess to enjoy themselves, but we also want to help them do so safely. It's easy to get carried away by the atmosphere. However, if you drink too much, you could end up in the field hospital and miss the event altogether. It's important to eat before you start drinking and while you're drinking and to pace yourself by drinking soft drink spacers, particularly water, to keep you hydrated. Stay with friends and make sure you keep yourselves safe. It's also important to keep warm as you don't notice how cold you get when you've been drinking."

Suzy also urged festival goers not to dabble in illicit drugs and she pointed out that overindulging could prove fatal."

She said: "If you can't say no, you should at least let a close and reliable friend know what you've taken so that, if you need medical help, we have a clear picture of what's going on. And, bear in mind that you have no idea what you're buying or exposing yourself to when you decide to take drugs. Some drugs can be mixed with a variety of cheap hazardous substances which could cause your body untold harm. If you or your friends have taken something and start to feel unwell please seek medical help immediately."

Event Commander Superintendent Stevie MacKay from Northern Constabulary spoke of the proactive operation against drugs at the event: "We are employing a focused and intelligence-led approach to the drugs operation at RockNess 2011, not just at the event but before and after we will be looking to stem the supply of illegal substances at this event. The message is clear from previous years in that if you bring drugs you're very likely to get caught and not only will you miss the whole weekend you'll face criminal charges, so don't risk it."

Supt MacKay added: "As with previous years we are looking forward to RockNess 2011, which in particular has enjoyed a relatively low level of crime and serious incident. However we are not complacent and a considerable amount of planning has gone into this year's event to ensure that not only RockNess is sufficiently policed, but that the rest of the Force area is unaffected. There is some general security advice which we suggest for those attending particularly those who will be there for the first time. We would ask that you keep valuables on your person at all times and avoid leaving them unattended in cars or tents. Whilst we have previously had relatively low levels of crime at the event these measures limit the opportunity for this type of opportunist crime to take place. Anyone who wishes to find out what is happening at the event should look at our Twitter and Facebook pages, which will be updated over the duration of the event. We always seek feedback of the policing at this event from those attending so anyone wishing to do so should email feedback @ northern.pnn.police.uk."

Group Manager Graham Robertson from HIFRS spoke of the risks of fire safety at the event: "It is always the case at music festivals that there is risk of fire due to tents being pitched close together and a number of people smoking in close proximity. I would encourage that if people are smoking inside or close to tents, they do so very carefully and also make sure cigarettes are fully extinguished before getting rid of them. If cooking, ensure you do so in the designated barbeque areas or alternatively take advantage of the many varied food concessions at the event and reduce that risk from fire."