Springtime marks the beginning of festival season. From lean-tos and jam bands to luxury yurts and Beyonce, there’s a festival for every goer. While being outdoors is part of the fun, it also introduces extra safety issues into the mix. The wrong combinations of surging temperatures, alcohol and recreational drugs can turn life-threatening if they\u2019re not addressed in time. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to know what to do and where to go before you even get your wristband.<\/p>\n
First and foremost, find your event\u2019s first-aid station or medic tent. All of them should have one \u2014 the cost is included in your ticket price. You should always feel comfortable approaching medical staff for help, says Alex Pollak, a New York City paramedic since 1998 and the CEO of ParaDocs, a medical staffing company that provides services at events from races to music festivals. \u201cWe get it,\u201d he says. \u201cPeople are young and experimenting. We are there as a safety net.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regardless of the type of event, the medics tend to see a few hundred patients a day, covering conditions from hyperthermia (overheating) and nose bleeds to broken bones, food allergies, seizures and heart attacks.<\/p>\n
\u201cDrug names are just branding, they don\u2019t really mean anything.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\u201cWe have two or three board-certified emergency doctors \u2014 they are the doctors you find in an emergency room,\u201d Pollak says. \u201cWe can do almost everything on site that can be done at an ER, like blood work, suturing and treating dehydration. More serious cases like fractures will be transported to the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thanks to HIPAA laws, nothing that happens inside the medical tent will be shared with your parents or the police (unless a person is carrying copious amounts of drugs, suggesting they might be a dealer).<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a big stigma that you go to the medical tent and your day\u2019s over \u2014 your parents are going to be called, you\u2019re going to get kicked out of the festival, you\u2019re going to go to jail,\u201d Pollak says. \u201cThe thing is, if you are over 18, we\u2019re not telling anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
The usual culprits<\/h3>\n
Heat-related illnesses are the No. 1 issue at festivals, Pollak says. Several factors, such as ambient temperatures, physical activity and certain drugs, can defeat the body\u2019s heat-regulating mechanisms and cause temperatures to spike above the 98.6-degree safe zone. Symptoms may include lightheadedness or dizziness, headaches, and nausea or vomiting. Extreme body temperatures, typically above 104 degrees Fahrenheit, can become a medical emergency and require immediate treatment to prevent serious damage or death.<\/p>\n
Dehydration is another big issue that can cause your body to lose its ability to function normally. It\u2019s important to drink enough water, but you should also make sure to drink beverages containing electrolytes (e.g., potassium and sodium) to restore your body\u2019s electrolyte balance.<\/p>\n
Low temperatures after sunset are another issue to prepare for. \u201cThe temperature dropping 10 degrees has a big impact,\u201d Pollak says. \u201cLayering up is great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Proper festival attire also includes appropriate shoes. Pollak\u2019s team sees a lot of foot injuries, such as blisters from dancing in flip-flops for 12 hours.<\/p>\n
Conditions caused by drug and alcohol use are fairly common as well, and some can be serious. One of the most concerning drugs is MDMA (Molly) or Ecstasy, because it can impair the body\u2019s ability to regulate its core temperature. Couple that with dancing for hours and it easily puts people at high risk for hyperthermia and dehydration.<\/p>\n
\u201cKids take MDMA and suddenly their temperature is 109 degrees,\u201d Pollak says. \u201cBut as long as you come in, we can treat you. It\u2019s the safest place to be. We have ice baths on site where we dunk patients to bring down their core temperature. We have large, cold-fluid IVs. If we don\u2019t do that, then by the time they get to the hospital, 109 degrees can do permanent damage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Signs to take seriously<\/h3>\n
To know when you or a friend needs help, recognize the signs of hyperthermia and possible drug overdose:<\/p>\n
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- Breathing too fast or too slow<\/li>\n
- Talking very fast or erratically without \u00a0making sense<\/li>\n
- Sweating so profusely it looks like you took a shower<\/li>\n
- Not sweating at all when everyone else is sweating<\/li>\n
- Excessive fidgeting or moving around, jaw-popping or chewing aggressively<\/li>\n
- Vomiting<\/li>\n
- Trouble walking<\/li>\n
- Drowsiness or sleeping in an unlikely place<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Many of these symptoms could be nothing. But always err on the side of caution. \u201cWe\u2019d rather have 100 patients come in who don\u2019t need to be seen by us than miss that one patient who does,\u201d Pollak says.<\/p>\n
How to reduce drug-related risks<\/h3>\n
Some drugs are inherently dangerous and easy to overdose on. Others become a problem when mixed with other substances. To complicate things further, you don\u2019t always know what substances are actually in a drug you bought from a stranger.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no totally safe way to consume drugs, particularly illegal drugs obtained from the black market,\u201d says Mitchell Gomez, the executive director of DanceSafe, an organization promoting harm-reduction strategies within the electronic music community. \u201cThat said, tens of millions of people choose to take these substances anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re set on taking drugs, there are ways to do it in a less risky manner.<\/p>\n
The first step is to test your drugs, by using a kit bought online or visiting groups that do testing at festivals. \u201cDrug names are just branding, they don\u2019t really mean anything,\u201d says Gomez. \u201cAll of the research in the world won\u2019t help you if you don\u2019t test it.\u201d Consider the recent surge in cocaine laced with the opioid fentanyl<\/a>, a combination with deadly results. DanceSafe frequently tests drugs circulating at festivals and issues alerts on\u00a0Twitter<\/a> and Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n
If you plan to take multiple drugs during the festival, do your research on mixing drugs and plan your drug schedule beforehand. \u201cDon\u2019t make those decisions while intoxicated; do it at home,\u201d says Gomez. \u201cLook for contraindications. There are a lot of drugs that are safe on their own but incredibly dangerous if mixed together.\u201d For example, mixing drugs from the depressant class, like Xanax and alcohol, with dissociative drugs like ketamine is so dangerous that \u201ca trip to the medical tent is your best outcome,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
When taking drugs, especially those you haven\u2019t tried before, make sure you have a friend with you. It\u2019s always best to start by taking half of what is considered the normal dose, Gomez says.<\/p>\n
Lastly, if something happens and you\u2019re taken to the doctors, you might not be in a state to inform them about your medical history or conditions you might have. Write down your medical history and put it in your pocket, Gomez suggests. \u201cThe medical staff would love you for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
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