Megan Ralston, finally brings attention to the real issue of drugs at music festivals. By accepting the fact that adults will choose to take drugs while listening to music and avoiding the notion that any policy, law or security can stop it all from happening, we finally get an accurate account of what can happen to prevent deaths and overdoses at future events.
It starts with the organizers and promoters who must deliver on basic things like: free water, medical tents, areas to relax in the shade and clearly marked places for help.
We need to acknowledge that alcohol and other drugs have been omnipresent at music festivals and will doubtless continue to be. We need to make it socially, and legally, acceptable for festival organizers to anticipate that some portion of the crowd may overdo it and may need assistance in staving off serious consequences.
Young people underestimate how intense heat can exacerbate the effects of alcohol and other drugs. Heat stroke, dehydration, nausea, fatigue and severe headaches are just a few of the unpleasant and occasionally dangerous side effects of being in crowded outdoor areas in high temperatures for many hours. Festival organizers need to plan on how to help keep thousands of people who may be intoxicated properly hydrated and cooled when temperatures soar,sometimes reaching 100-plus degrees at festivals at some festivals, like Coachella in the Palm Springs area.
This isn’t to suggest that the people who use drugs at festivals are not responsible for their own actions; everyone who uses drugs should, at minimum, know what they’re taking and know how to avoid any dangers associated with their drug of choice. Basic awareness of how to negate harmful side effects would go a long way toward reducing accidental overdoses and fatalities.
Continue reading at The Huffington Post.
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