Ecstasy taking at Rhythm & Vines: Police got it wrong

Police say they consider this year's Rhythm & Vines to have been extremely successful from a crowd behaviour point of view. Photo / Liam Clayton

Police have backtracked after saying the 15 Rhythm & Vines revellers who were vomiting and had diarrhoea had taken Ecstasy.

The festival-goers were admitted to Gisborne Hospital and have now been discharged.

Eastern district commander Inspector Sam Aberahama had said yesterday that he had been told by health experts at the Tairāwhiti District Health Board that some of the patients had taken Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and ketamine.

But the DHB followed with a press release quoting Aberahama saying: "The comments made by me earlier today regarding the young people hospitalised at R & V were inaccurate. I misinterpreted information and I apologise for the error."

The cause of their severe vomiting and diarrhoea has not been determined.

Meanwhile, drugs, particularly Ecstasy or E, were the major concern for police and St John ambulance staff.

Police said alcohol was not such a major issue this time.

"Drugs were a bit of a problem overall, particularly MDMA," said Aberahama.

"There were a lot of kids under the influence of it."

Inspector Aberahama said three arrests were made in relation to the drug.

"A van was searched in the carpark at R&V and three men from Waikato were arrested on drugs charges."

A large quantity of MDMA was seized.

"We are going to get together with the directors of the festival next month and work on a plan around drug use at the festival for next year.

"Drugs issue aside, it was overall an extremely successful event this year from our perspective. The level of alcohol intoxication was more controlled and we saw less of it than last year," Inspector Aberahama said.

"Staff at the site did a great job around alcohol management and the amount of alcohol served to the festival-goers."

As well as the drug arrests, there were several other arrests made during the event. "But they were for minor offences."

Police stopped 4750 cars on New Year's Day as vehicles left the festival venue.

"Ten drivers were over the drink-drive limit. They all had alcohol readings of 250 to 400 micrograms. None were over 400.

"We think that is an outstanding result. It shows that our kids are getting the message around drink-driving. The majority of those vehicles had sober drivers."

St John territory manager Shane Clapperton said it was "business as usual" over the four afternoons and nights on site.

"We saw just over a thousand people for a wide range of medical and accident-related issues across the time we were there."

St John had 30 staff on duty at the site across the four days.

"The number we saw was comparable to last year."

Clapperton said they still looked after a lot of people who were affected in some way by either alcohol or drugs.

"Some of them required significant medical attention."

Clapperton said the impact of the weather on site on Thursday and Friday made their job tougher.

"We had to operate in the wet and muddy conditions and that was difficult at times. But overall we were happy with the role we played in the festival and how we executed that role."