14 ways people smuggle drugs into music festivals

Image: Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Editor's note: Mashable does not condone the use of illegal drugs, and discourages anyone from smuggling them in violation of event policy.

Miley Cyrus exposed our fascination with party drugs in 2013 when she confused listeners who heard the lyrics "dancing with Molly" instead of "dancing with Miley."

MDMA, which is short for 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse — is known as "Molly" to most of us. It's a synthetic drug that releases serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, overwhelming users with feelings of euphoria, energy and emotional warmth — hence its other name, Ecstasy, when in pill form.

Because these effects are so often associated with good times at music festivals, Molly has become a frequent attendee at events like Coachella, Electric Daisy Carnival and Electric Zoo — some of which have ended in death. This has led to increased security and decreased drug tolerance: checking of both bags and bodies, no open packs of gum or cigarettes, and pre-entrance "amnesty boxes" to throw away any drugs.

Many festival websites boldly state a zero-tolerance drug policy. California's Health and Safety Code 11550-11555 can get you arrested if a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) police officer believes you appear to be under the influence of a controlled substance like MDMA. That same code's section 11377-11382.5 states that MDMA is treated the same way as meth, so getting caught trying to sell it is a felony.

For small amounts, it will most likely get confiscated, according to some Reddit users. But there are also cases in which attendees have had their possessions searched based on a tip, and were arrested and taken to Indio Jail, according to a story by OC Weekly.

But these precautions don't always stop festival goers. Below, we've compiled a few places where adamantly fun-seeking attendees have resorted to sneaking in Molly and other substances.

1. The crotch

Image: Â© Roderick Chen/First Light/Corbis

One of the most popular and most comical tricks, taping small quantities of drugs somewhere in your crotch seems like the most common technique when frisking and drug-sniffing dogs are at the gates. For men, it's recommended by Reddit users to tape them between the penis and testicles. For women, things get a little more tricky, often inserting drugs into what Broad City fans might know as "nature's pocket."

2. Taped to the leg

Travel a little south and some people on a different Reddit thread say that taping small baggies to the inside of your leg suffices.

3. Shoes and socks

Image: Flickr, Magic Madzik

An LA Weekly piece reported someone sneaking in Molly and acid inside his shoes. But he got caught when a guard stuck a finger in the tongue of his sneaker.

One Reddit user has cling-wrapped baggies in between his toes.

4. Hair

That same Reddit user has actually successfully snuck a joint through to a music festival by hiding it in his hair. His actual hairstyle, however, remains unknown.

5. Wallet

Image: Flickr, Binary Koala

While it may seem like an obvious place to get checked, many attendees (mostly male) insist they've been successful by tightly wrapping the baggies in saran wrap and slipping it in their wallet.

"I always stash my drugs in my wallet prior to going through security," wrote Reddit user TripleDoubleNoAssist. "I've been to numerous festivals and not once has anyone searched my wallet. They may not even be allowed to, I don't know, but it's a pretty safe bet."

But user iusedtoknowsuffering replied, "Wallet is a no-go. I've definitely witnessed many wallet searches."

6. Altoids

Image: Flickr, Toshimasa Ishibashi

More festivals are cracking down on opened packaged goods, so attendees can't alter the products, but some people have been known to lace the "curiously strong" Altoids mints with LSD.

7. Lip balm tube

Image: Flickr, ganeshaisis

Like Altoids, chapstick now has to be sealed in order to enter a music festival's premises; hollowing one out and replacing the balm with a joint or MDMA used to be an option, according to a Coachella forum.

8. Tampons

"As a female, I have to say I think I've come up with the absolute best idea for sneaking drugs in," writes a deleted Reddit user. "Take an unopened tampon and cut a very small slit along the seam at the top. Put the pills inside. A dab of glue to seal it back up and you're golden."

9. Deodorant

Image: Flickr, Rich Anderson

For those who camp, hiding drugs somewhere in a deodorant roller is a common method. "We use deodorant [and] shampoo hiding places for festivals [or] traveling [when] having drugs taped to your balls for, like, three days really isn't that comfortable," writes Reddit user MDPSL.

10. Bras

Women have had an advantage by being able to stash alcohol or drugs in their bras. According to Jezebel, flasks have been hidden in bra cups. Others tuck pills or joints.

11. Pens

Image: Flickr, kendrickmartin

That same Jezebel article reported someone who removed the ink from Bic pens and then slipped in marijuana joints in its place.

12. Stash lighters

Leave it up to the Internet to provide people with creative inventions. Stash lighters, sold on sites like Amazon, look like regular lighters with a secret compartment at the bottom.

13. An inhaler

Image: Flickr, NIAID

A Reddit thread regarding a three-day music festival discussed deconstructing an inhaler and then refilling it with pills.

14. The battery compartments of flashlights

Image: Flickr, redjar

This seems aimed more at campers, but slipping some pills into the battery compartments for torches or flashlights was an additional idea posed on Reddit.