Police say drug testing at stadiums is impractical

The President of the Cyprus Police Association, Giorgos Georgiou, analyzed the difficulties in implementing drug and alcohol tests at stadiums in light of the government’s new bills aimed at tackling violence. Speaking on SPOR FM 95 and the program "News Dispersion," he explained the challenges.

Although the measure sounds good in theory, it is very difficult in practice. He cited both the time required for the procedure and the number of officers needed to handle a positive test result. If a person tests positive, they must be taken to the police station for further examination. He also pointed out that conducting drug or alcohol tests on a driver is vastly different from performing them within a crowd.

When asked about the possibility of collaboration between fan associations and the police, Georgiou expressed his belief that such cooperation is feasible. He also mentioned that in other countries, police forces have access to defensive weapons used for riot control, which could be beneficial in Cyprus as well. For example, he referred to a weapon that fires rubber balls, known as the "punch weapon," which, according to its manufacturer, cannot cause fatal injuries.

With the bill approved by the Cabinet yesterday, the executive authority will now have the power to decide, in exceptional cases, to prohibit fan movement. The bill also includes provisions for random alcohol and drug tests, upgraded stadium surveillance systems, and the mandatory presence of professional security personnel.

Regarding alcohol testing, the legal limit will be the same as that set for road safety regulations. Anyone found under the influence of drugs will be immediately arrested and taken to the police station, where the legal process will proceed as usual without requiring additional criteria, such as disturbance or other legal conditions.

New cameras in stadiums
Other provisions of the bill involve clarity systems and cameras. Within 12 months, all stadiums or indoor arenas with a capacity of more than 500 people will be required to install modern surveillance camera systems compatible with specific software. This software will be linked to the updated fan card system, currently under pilot implementation by the Cyprus Sports Organization.

Article was translated from its Greek original.