Nottinghamshire Police join forces with Nottingham Forest, Mansfield Town, and Notts County as part of Operation Cognition to promote risks of mixing cocaine and alcohol

Police officers are working with professional football clubs to increase awareness of the consequences of consuming alcohol and cocaine together at matches.

Nottinghamshire Police has launched a new partnership with Nottingham Forest, Mansfield Town, and Notts County as part of Operation Cognition, which aims to provide information about the risks of taking cocaine and alcohol together and reduce instances of violent crime, with a key focus on violence against women and girls.

A 2021 study of 1,500 British football fans finding that almost a third of those surveyed had witnessed other supporters taking cocaine at football matches, and self-reported cocaine use among football supporters was more than double the use in the general population.

When alcohol and cocaine are mixed it causes a toxic psychoactive substance to form in the body, known as cocaethylene, which can increase violent and aggressive behaviour, as well as increasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and seizures.

Officers from the Drugs and Substance Interventions team recently met with safety supervisors from the three football clubs to discuss the rollout of material as the new season kicks off.

Sergeant Graham Whitt, of Nottinghamshire Police’s Drug and Substance Interventions team, said: “The sad reality is there will be some families where it is normal for impressionable children to witness arguments and violence between guardians when alcohol and cocaine have been consumed.

“Not only is this unacceptable, but it contributes to a perpetual cycle of learnt behaviour where it can be considered normal to act in that way, which we hope to change over time with this operation.

“Repeat use of cocaethylene causes irreparable damage to the lining of your aorta, and so there are major health benefits in changing the mindset of people caught in a cycle of using cocaine when drinking alcohol at the football.

“Having clinicians available alongside officers as part of these targeted patrols makes a massive difference to the uptake from those who use cocaine and alcohol towards making their first step on the journey to recovery.”

New posters with information highlighting the risks associated with cocaethylene will be set up in men’s and women’s toilets, as well as along the concourses around the stadiums.

The operation, which first launched in May, also aims to improve health outcomes with reduced hospital admissions, cocaine-related deaths, and generational abuse and substance misuse.

Operation Cognition patrols are set to take place on match days outside stadiums or at railway stations this season.

Plain-clothes officers with a pink tabard are joined by clinicians from substance misuse organisations including Nottingham Recovery Network and Change Grow Live to engage with the public about the risks of using cocaine and alcohol and, where appropriate, refer people into further support.

Officers and public health professionals will also hand out leaflets warning of the dangers of combining the two substances and invite members of the public to complete a cocaethylene questionnaire.

The partnership has been welcomed by clubs who are working jointly with Nottinghamshire Police towards keeping fans safe and healthy, reducing the abuse of stewards and staff, and making the terraces a more welcoming environment.

Football Intervention and Banning Order Officer Carl Gabbitas said: “This initiative is a great way for us to engage with the football community and start conversations about the dangers of using alcohol and cocaine together.

“Nottinghamshire Police will not hesitate to apply for football banning orders against those who bring Class A drugs into stadiums.

“It is simply not worth risking a lifetime or lengthy ban from attending football matches for consuming a substance that is really harmful to your personal health.

“We look forward to continuing our work with Nottingham Forest, Mansfield Town, and Notts County over the coming months to spread awareness about the risks associated with cocaethylene and hope that this operation will help to reduce the rate of offences linked to consuming alcohol and cocaine.”