In the Navy, the fellas my son serves with have a policy-- they take excellent care of the individual, putting him into the care of a "designated walker" to get him back to the ship. (Sailors have a keen sense of what behaviors in town tend to make sailors in general less welcome than they already are, and will walk a guy out of trouble before it gets too bothersome.) But once he's on board the amateur crime-scene photographers get busy. When you puke all over yourself lying on the bottom of the cold, running shower, it's memorialized for all time, with 2 sets of prints. You get a copy for yourself and so does someone you respect (they tend to know who you respect/fear/admire).

These pictures come back to haunt you, should you fail to make yourself a designated walker the next few times out. It's quite democratic, too-- my son holds his CO's photos and has been known to tell him when to knock it the F off. And he's appreciated for this, too.

These Navy pals will also mop up the worst of what you spew, since by then you can't do it yourself. But you may find the mop bucket, waiting for you to empty it, in your rack (bunk). And when you emerge from hell you are expected to re-mop, and make like new, whatever area you messed, plus do chores for whoever cleaned up after you.

The end result is that most kids find out it's a lot more fun to be a walker than a walkee. Persistent walkees are understood to have a problem they cannot control, and there's a sense that protecting your shipmates from the worst consequences is inmportant to remain battle-ready.

It's a small neighborhood, and they police it well, with good effect. But in your festival situation, I think you have to rely on local law enforcement. And if it really takes them that long to show up, then your event must usually not be too problematic, or they would be there on hand. So to protect yourself from actually harming someone because you do not know what you are doing, there should be festival security OR a Red Cross first aid tent (ideally both). Dump a drunk at First Aid and let them deal with it. Think of it as preventing alcohol poisoning.

~Susan