OVERDOSE CONCERNS

Festival faces questions

After a spate of overdoses at a Calgary music festival, the event’s organizers defended their safety procedures, arguing they responded quickly to emergencies.

Seventeen people were hospitalized after overdosing on drugs or alcohol at the two- day Chasing Summer Festival at Fort Calgary, according to EMS.

Union Events, which organized the outdoor music and dance party, said patients were also treated for dehydration and physical injuries.

The company said several hundred security staffers and volunteers, along with a medical team, paramedics and police officers, were on- site throughout the event.

In a statement, the company said its emergency response plan “allowed our team to effectively respond to any incidents as they arose in a quick and efficient manner.”

During the event, several partygoers complained there was not enough water available.

But Union Events disputed this claim, saying there were 24 free water spouts, plus kiosks selling bottled water and other beverages.

“Festival producers at Union Events would like to express our support for all our patrons and wish those few who needed further attention a quick and full recovery,” the company said.

Paramedics transported 10 women and seven men, aged 18 to mid30s, to area hospitals for drug and alcohol overdoses.

In most cases, the patients had consumed large amounts of alcohol and had taken at least one illicit substance, such as MDMA ( ecstasy), marijuana, GHB or Ketamine.

The overdoses prompted warnings from paramedics who said mixing drugs with alcohol or other drugs is especially dangerous, and can ultimately kill.

Lillia Wan, a student who attended the festival with friends, said she was concerned about the event’s safety measures. At one point, a man was vomiting

beside her and refused to see a medic.

“No security was around to say, ‘ OK, you have to leave; you have to go somewhere to get it checked,’” Wan said.

Free water was frequently scarce, she said, forcing her and her friends to have empty bottles filled in a VIP area.

But she said even that well was dry at one point on Saturday.

“There was hardly any ( free) water,” Wan said, noting that bottled beverages were available for purchase.

After five people died at music festivals across the country last summer, the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse released a report proposing changes.

It called for safe spaces on festival grounds for drug users suffering undesirable effects.

And, among other recommendations, it suggested organizers should issue warnings about the harms of drug abuse and provide reliable access to free potable water.

EMS spokesman Stuart Brideaux said consuming copious amounts of alcohol can cause dehydration while taking certain drugs, including ecstasy, can cause the body to heat up.

“If you’re attending a daylong or two- day- long event out in these environments, you have to be prepared, ensuring you’re doing what you can as an adult to stay wellhydrated,” Brideaux said.

Union Events said in its statement that organizers had taken steps to ensure that water was available to partygoers.

“Our policy of offering free drinking water to patrons helps reduce cases of dehydration.”