HUNDREDS of festival goers were seen by medical teams at the Rainbow Serpent Festival, with about 10 people taken to hospital for overdoses or for being under the influence of drugs.
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Police charged two men with serious drug-related offences, ejected 10 trespassers and cautioned several people for possession of a drug of dependence during the four-day event at Lexton.
A police media spokesperson said a 45-year-old Fryerstown man was charged with drug possession and use and 210 counts of upskirting following an alleged incident in a public toilet at the event on Monday at 4.15pm.
He has been bailed to appear at Ballarat Magistrates Court on February 27.
Another man was charged with reckless conduct endangering serious injury, drug trafficking and possession and driving while disqualified after he allegedly drove through a security check point on Saturday.
The 25-year-old Dallas man has been bailed to appear at Ballarat Magistrates Court on April 24.
Police said a booze bus operation in Beaufort on Friday and Saturday did not record any positive readings for drug- and drink-drivers.
But 10 drug-drivers were detected on Monday night and yesterday morning.
Ambulance Victoria group manager Central Grampians Graham McGrath said extra ambulances were organised for the event.
“Paramedics took 10 people to hospital over the weekend, the majority of them related to some sort of drug overdose or the effect of drugs,” Mr McGrath said.
“Extra ambulances were arranged to attend to patients. By and large the crowd was well-behaved.”
Mr McGrath said about 1000 people were seen at the on-site medical centre for a range of reasons, including dehydration, infected cuts and abrasions and sunburn.
Police were also “generally pleased” with the overall crowd behaviour at the festival and said there were no incidents of public drunkenness.
However, a number of people received penalty notices for traffic offences.
