Music

17 Calgary electronic festival goers sent to hospital after overdosing

by Richard Howard

There was an unfortunate side story to Calgary’s Chasing Summer Festival held over the weekend. The event billed as Western Canada’s largest electronic fest saw 17 attendees rushed to area hospitals after suffering drug and/or alcohol overdoses.

Ten women and seven men were transported by EMS to four nearby hospitals. With ages ranging from 18 to mid-30s, the most serious case was a woman in her early 30s said to be in life-threatening condition. Five were in serious but stable condition, and the remaining were described as stable. EMS added that a number of the patients in less serious condition were aggressive and uncooperative, eventually requiring physical or chemical restraint and that most in serious condition had trouble breathing or were unresponsive.

As for the substances involved, an EMS spokesman said that in most cases the patients had ingested large amounts of alcohol along with at least one illicit substance; frequently MDMA. Cocaine, GHB, ketamine and marijuana were also found to have been taken.

A June report by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse offered recommendations on how music festivals could better safeguard attendees from alcohol and drug-related harm as well as deal with any situation that may arise. Dave Johnston, creative director at Union Events which produces Chasing Summer had the following to say:

“Personal responsibility would be a really good start on behalf of patrons. One of our big messages that we have for people is to look after yourself and look out for each other. Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t do anything that you’d be embarrassed or ashamed of. We can’t hold the hands of 15,000 people.”