Avoiding Drugs at Music Festivals

People travel from all over the country to camp out, socialize, and dance at music festivals for days on end. With electronic music rising in popularity, these festivals are garnering more and more attention—and not just from fans. While many celebrate these events as the ultimate form of escapism, law enforcement is becoming increasingly worried about the mechanics behind it.Dance music events and concerts have been controversial, infamous drug buffets for a long time. The menu today differs little from that which we saw during the disco-era in New York City. This time around the finger is being pointed at the musicians themselves, rather than the venue operators, for implementing drug use into their culture. The blame-game may be subjective, but the problem is evident: Although drug terminology has shifted to become less threatening and more stylish, the dangers remain the same.

Drugs at Music Festivals

Molly is a prime example. Remember the “club king” who was repeatedly scrutinized in the papers for capitalizing off the drug back in the 1980s? Probably not, because back then it was simply called ecstasy. Style is heavily influential. As a whole, youth today is much more open to molly than the previous generation was toward ecstasy. Many assume that by knowing their tolerance and remembering to hydrate throughout the day, they are safe from incident. But things are not so simple. Molly seized by law enforcement at one of the most popular festivals, known as Burning Man, contained an array of other illicit substances: meth, hallucinogens, bath salts, and more.Any of those substances can be deadly on their own. Figure in all the festive drinking that goes on—all the deadly cocktails to be made—and the hazards become clear.Fortunately, summer festivals are taking steps to minimize emergency room visits by implementing drug-sniffing dogs and putting more doctors, nurses, and EMTs on site.Indeed, drug use is part of the electronic dance music culture. Still, the dangers should not be taken lightly. There are a lot of drugs at these events and a lot of ways for them to kill you.

The Last Resort treats party drug addiction and alcoholism. For more information call (512)-750-6750.