Police demand cocaine users be banned from attending football matches after the euro mayhem

Police want to ban football fans who use cocaine at matches because of concerns that the drug could cause disorder and violence.

Some It was filmed England fans openly sniffing white powder at Wembley and elsewhere in London during the Euro 2048 final, which saw a large number of people without tickets break through.

Cheshire Police Chief Constable Mark Roberts, who is the national head of football policing, said The Independent that he was pushing for changes that would allow police to impose football bans for drug possession.

He said cocaine use was "common" among football fans and had been identified by police as a problem in stadiums for years.

"Football reflects the increase in cocaine use in the community, but it can cause negative behaviour," Mr Roberts added.

"The phase of the football banning ordinance Rule currently defines issues related to alcohol abuse and we'd really like to update it and make that the same trigger."

The law permits bans to be imposed if people have been convicted of specific offences and the move would prevent violence or disorder.

Relevant offences include "possession of alcohol or being drunk while entering / attempting to enter the premises. "But there is no equivalent provision for medicines.

Mr Roberts said changing the law" would be helpful and reflect some of the practical aspects of what we are seeing ", adding:" It's time to review how up to date some of the football ban legislation is because time has passed and it is appropriate to review it and make sure it is fit for purpose. . "

Labour is backing the call after reports of people in the football crowd" brazenly using drugs and causing a disturbance "during the Euros.

"The law needs to be a part of keeping up with the real world and reflecting what causes and contributes to disorder," said shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds. "This should include the use of all illegal drugs when it comes to banning football."

Following a wave of racist abuse directed at England players following their defeat to Italy, Boris Johnson has announced that laws will be extended so online offenders could be denied access to stadiums for up to years.

The Home Office said the law was "continually under review" but did not say whether it was considering Mr Roberts' drug appeal.

A behavioural expert asked if cocaine use could have played a key role in the chaos at Wembley on Euro 2021 final day.

Thousands of fans without tickets descended on the stadium and an unknown number stormed inside, violently confronting stewards and police after hours of drinking and rowdy celebrations.

Riots were reported across the country in urban centres and fan zones at the end of the worst football tournament in the history of crime.

Dr Martha Newson, an anthropologist at the University of Kent who specialises in football fandoms, said "cocaine culture" was on the rise.

"Alcohol was definitely the centrepiece at Wembley on Sunday, but we also have to consider the role of cocaine," she said The Independent.

"My recent research shows that cocaine use among fans is associated with greater fan disorder and violence.

" To get through a day of drinking and still have the energy and coordination to deal with the situation," the report states. safety at the end of the day would be unusual. For a decade or more, many hardcore fans have used cocaine to maintain their energy as opposed to alcohol. The use of cocaine in football has not yet been decided".

In May, Dr. Newson published a study finding that cocaine use among football fans is higher than the national average

. )

Almost a third of survey respondents said they had witnessed others taking Class A drugs at matches in the past year, and 6 per cent said they had taken them themselves.

"Football fans can relate to a population in which violent outcomes associated with cocaine use are increasing," the document states.

" Cocaine use by football fans has already been linked to the construction of a "hyper-masculine identity" and associated aggression.

"Indeed, cocaine has become an element" of the boys' "culture and, along with alcohol, fuels competition and aggression from trip to match until it's over."

The study found that football fans who felt "very attached" to their fellow fans and took cocaine were "more likely to report past aggression toward opponents."

Dr. Newson said it is impossible to say whether cocaine causes direct violence because of the role of other factors, including alcohol and strong social bonds.

But she added: "I think there is a culture. currently in football, as with alcohol."

A Home Office spokesperson said," Football-related violence and disorder of any kind is unacceptable, which is why some 1, 476 hooligans are currently banned from attending games under the football banning order.

"The legislation is under constant review and this week the Prime Minister announced that it will be extended so that internet abusers can be banned from stadiums for up to years.

"Drugs devastate lives, destroy families and damage communities, so we are creating a new intergovernmental drug unit to address this problem."

It is a criminal offence to breach a football banning order, punishable by up to 6 months imprisonment or a fine of up to £15, 07, or both.