Music revellers to to be charged after allegedly caught driving with drugs in system at Lost Paradise

Police have launched a new wave of charges against music festival revellers caught driving home under the influence of drugs after a rave where a man died of an overdose.

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Police have launched a new wave of charges against music festival revellers caught driving home under the influence of drugs after a rave where a man died of an overdose.

Fifty-nine people will be charged with driving with MDMA in their system after leaving the Lost Paradise festival near Gosford on the New Year’s weekend.

Among the 59, 14 allegedly recorded positive readings for cannabis and five had three or more drugs still in their system.

Officers conducted 419 roadside drug tests after the festival finished on January 1, and are now in the process of issuing court orders following confirmation of the test results.

Almost 60 people will be charged with driving under the influence of drugs. Picture: Twitter@lostparadiseau

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Drug driving carries maximum penalties of six months in jail and a $1100 fine for first time offenders.

As well as the roadside tests, police conducted a drug dog operations at the festival which ran from December 28 to January 1, resulting in 50 people being charged with drug possession and three with drug supply.

Police conducted roadside tests and drug dog operations at the festival. Picture: Dylan Robinson

Joseph Tam, 22, died at the festival after taking a pill on December 29. Four other people were hospitalised.

The NSW Government has cracked down on festivals, introducing a tough new licencing regime following the death of teenager Alex Ross-King at the FOMO festival in Parramatta on January 12.

Joshua Tam, 22, died at the Lost Paradise festival. Picture: Facebook

The State Government has introduced tough new licensing laws following Alex Ross-King’s death at FOMO festival. Picture: Facebook

Traffic and Highway Patrol commander Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy said deaths from drug driving were a major concern of police.

“With young lives being lost after dance party events, those using drugs should think twice before driving,” he said.

“Drivers who have used drugs at dance parties and then driven are the one’s who continue to put themselves, their passengers and other innocent road users at great risk.

“Fortunately for these people, aside from being identified and prosecuted, they get to go home to their loved ones. For many, this hasn’t been the case, after being involved in a drug driving related crash.”

Fifty-nine people will be charged with driving with MDMA in their system after leaving the Lost Paradise festival near Gosford on the New Year’s weekend.

More than 30 festival organisers met at NSW parliament on Monday to discuss the licensing rules, including representatives from the cancelled Psyfari and Mountain Sounds festivals which were called off in the wake of the government crackdown.

Under the new licensing policy starting in March festival organisers will be slugged with a “user pay” bill for mandatory police, medical and ambulance presence at their events.

Events will be placed into low and high-risk categories with the requirements of those deemed high risk more onerous and expensive.

Musicians and festival owners have banded together claiming the new rules impose costs that will make some festivals uneconomic and are “a form of punishment”.

But the mother of a teenager killed in a drug-induced crash on his way home from the Psyfari event in 2015 is glad the festival is closing.

Georgina Sawyer said the festival was a “feral drug fest” that was previously beyond criticism.