Festivals and Drugs: What You Need to Know (Part 2)

“Drugs are a bet with your mind.” – Jim Morrison

In Part 1 we talked about specific drugs and their hazards. Now let’s talk about ways to stay safe at a festival.

How can I stay safe?

Stay sober

The obvious first choice is to not take any drugs or alcohol. You should know that this is an available option. In fact, at many large festivals (Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and the Austin City Limits festival among many others) there are organizations that help you enjoy a drug-free festival. One of these organizations is Harmonium.  Established at Bonnaroo in 2002, they describe their role as “a group of music fans who choose to remain clean and sober at music festivals.” A list of their events is found here.  They operate under different names at different festivals: at Bonnaroo, Soberoo; at the ACL festival, SoberPark. An alternative organization is DanceSafe. Take advantage of their services if that’s the route you choose.

Here’s a list of things that may help you if you’re interested in going sober:

  1. Go with people who also are going to stay sober, or spend some time with the organizations mentioned above.
  2.  Remember that the heart and soul of any festival is the music and the performers and not attaining altered states of consciousness.
  3. Many festivals have a variety of workshops and educational offerings, including arts and craft-making, walking paths, and yoga. Take advantage of some of those.
  4. Festival food can be marginal, but it can also be excellent. Spend some time paying attention to some of the food offerings.
  5. Take a camera. Concentrate on capturing some great memories.

And if not?

If you are going to take drugs, there are some specific guidelines that can help you stay safe. And remember: we are NOT promoting drug use. But if you are insistent on taking drugs, keep these hints in mind.

  1. Find out exactly where medical services are being offered at your festival, and know how to get there.
  2. Always work on the buddy system. Have another person (or more) that you can contact if a medical issue arises. Make an effort to stay in touch with them.
  3. Take a break. Find a cool place, hydrate and chill for a while.
  4. Avoid buying drugs at a festival if at all possible. You have no idea what you are actually buying, and misrepresented drugs are a major cause of problems. The biggest risk by far is MDMA. According to an expert in DanceSafe, MDMA “is not cut substances, it’s misrepresented substances.”
  5.  Test your drugs. If you do choose to buy drugs at a festival, look for organizations like the Bunk Police that can sell drug test kits or provide drug-testing services. Know what you’re taking.
  6.  Don’t mix multiple drugs. For sure, never combine multiple stimulants like MDMA and cocaine or ephedrine. Don’t take multiple respiratory depressants like opiates, ketamine and alcohol, and don’t combine hallucinogens like LSD and MDMA or mushrooms.
  7.  Stay hydrated. Several of these drugs make dehydration considerably worse, and some raise your body temperature regardless of air temperature. Most festivals have hydration stations. Make sure you have a lot of fluids available to you.
  8.  Hallucinogens like LSD, bath salts and mushrooms (psilocybin) can cause agitation to the point where the user becomes a danger to themselves or others. If you or a friend is having a bad trip, you need to be carefully watched. An organization present at many festivals to specifically help deal with bad trips is the Zendo Project.
  9. Pay attention to both yourself and your friends. Don’t get so distracted and enthusiastic that you aren’t aware of your own symptoms or lose track of your friends.

One thing is for certain: the best way to avoid medical complications of drugs and alcohol at festivals is to not take them. If you choose to take them, we want you to have information you need to be safe. Now party on, Wayne…

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