Pubdate: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 Source: Tennessean, The (Nashville, TN) Copyright: 2006 The Tennessean Contact: http://www.tennessean.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/447 Author: Rachel Stults Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy) BONNAROO DRUG ARRESTS DOWN 50%, SHERIFF SAYS MANCHESTER, Tenn. -- Despite the obvious presence of drugs such as marijuana, hallucinogenic mushrooms and Ecstasy at Bonnaroo this year, drug arrests and citations were down 50 percent as of Sunday afternoon, Coffee County Sheriff Steve Graves said. Arrests totaled 76 for all the law-enforcement agencies working the area, and the Coffee County Sheriff's Department had issued just over 100 citations. Most of the charges were drug-related, Graves said, but the quantity of drugs found at Bonnaroo this year was nowhere near what has been found in recent years. "It's a good thing," Graves said. "So far, everything went better than expected." But Bonnaroo fans aren't quick to believe that drugs use has dropped significantly. "I'm high right now," said Earl Carter, 26, of Pasadena, Md., jokingly. Brad Mitchell, 24, also of Pasadena, Md., said quantities of marijuana may be down, but harder drugs are still making the rounds. "I'm gonna tell you what's really true," Mitchell said. "It's easier to get hard drugs in because it doesn't stink and they're smaller. You can get whatever you want here." Some "Roonies" acknowledged that security has tightened -- and noted that "there are undercover cops dressed like hippies everywhere" -- but said that has only led to an increase in underground drug sales. "People are more quiet about it, and quiet about selling it," said Christy Walsh, 23, of Culpepper, Va. "Instead of running around screaming that they've got drugs, they're selling to their friends or people they know. It's less advertised, but it's still there." Drug-traffic control may have been more successful this year, but the event wasn't all smooth sailing. Joshua Overall, 21, of Hamilton, Ohio, was killed when he walked in front of bluegrass star Ricky Skaggs' tour bus near the Bonnaroo festival site Friday night. Overall, who was wearing a Bonnaroo wristband, climbed over a chain-link right-of-way fence and walked into westbound traffic on Interstate 24 when he was struck by the bus, according to Tennessee Department of Safety officials. On Thursday night, an unidentified man fell after he climbed, naked, up the scaffolding of a stage during a performance of the band Dios (Malos) and was airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Bonnaroo officials said. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman