The scary truth: Drug culture surrounding music festivals

It’s crazy to think that I was only 14 years old when I went to a music festival for the first time. The music consisted of rap, EDM, alternative and rock. I stuck around the EDM stage, as I anticipated, and was quickly thrown into a crowd of hundreds of people with wide-eyes and buckets of sweat protruding from their bodies. I remember looking over to my right to find two people lying under a tree, lifeless and limp, as paramedics came rushing to the scene. The feeling of fear and concern that rushed over my body juxtaposed the overwhelming sense of excitement and happiness that I was feeling during the entire festival.

Unfortunately, to this day, this is something I continue to see at every music festival, specifically EDM music festivals. I recently saw an article on a study that reveals EDM fans consume the most drugs and alcohol at shows (drugabuse.com). Quite frankly, I’m not shocked. The EDM genre is the highest to attract the use of alcohol, marijuana, MDMA, hallucinogens, cocaine and opioids. Although alcohol and marijuana are the most commonly used drugs at music festivals in general, the use of hallucinogens at EDM concerts/music festivals has become a concerning issue.

It became somewhat of a reality to me when I had a friend almost overdose at a music festival last year. Mixing two doses of hallucinogens together became such a norm for him, that he didn’t realize he was pushing his limits. As we were walking to the next performer across the festival grounds, the music suddenly faded away and a spotlight seemed to magically land directly on him; his face, pale, and his eyes, absent, he fell to the ground. Suddenly the world around me was pulled from under my feet, as I screamed for a paramedic and collected what was left from our water bottles. Fortunately, everyone who saw huddled around him-- strangers, friends, and volunteers-- all coming together to help in any way they could. My friend ended up walking out of that festival with a smile on his face and life returned to his body. That was the moment I became so aware of the dangers of drug culture at festivals and the odd silver living of a community that deeply cares about each other, at the same time.

It is common to hear stories of concert-goers not remembering the entire weekend because of the drugs they took. It is also just as common to see people being carried away in ambulances or have a near-death experience during their time. As drug use commonly has its consequences, many believe that some drugs like acid or molly, serve as bonding experiences for attendees. The EDM culture is known for promoting a widely-used phrase known as “PLUR”, or, peace, love, unity, respect. Many EDM fans that I find in crowds encourage a loving, unifying, and supportive environment. There seems to be a mutual understanding within the crowd that whether or not your neighbor is on drugs, to offer a helping hand and make friends with one another.

Every festival I have attended in the past has strict policies to ensure there are no drugs brought into the premises. Security guards rummage through cars, check backpacks, and pat you down as you enter the festival. While they are proactive about checking for illegal paraphernalia and alcohol brought from outside, it is still nearly impossible to prevent people from sneaking drugs into festivals. The discussion around this increasing issue should be introduced to encourage implementing alternative ways to prevent more deaths related to drug-abuse and dehydration. Medical tents should be available at every corner, stations to rehydrate and relax should be easily located, and on-site paramedics should stop turning users into police. EDM music festival’s should build off of the supportive community it so proudly promotes. Attendees should not refuse to get the appropriate help they need in fear of getting in trouble with the law. If this drug issue is so prevalent within the community, music festivals should actively implement aid that is readily available to anyone, without jeopardizing their future.

So, if you are looking to head to a music festival, stay safe my friends. Based off of my experience in the past, you really don’t need drugs to enjoy a weekend down the rabbithole. If you do decide to dabble in any mind-altering substances, then just remember three things: stay with your friends, stay hydrated, and know your limits. And always remember the positive phrase commonly said at music festivals: peace, love, unity, respect.

Photo by: Olivia Smith created in Illustrator

Sources Cited:

https://consequenceofsound.net/2018/12/drug-study-music-events/