Ecstasy’s Summertime Dangers

Last month, over 100,000 people attended Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas. This three-day event featured some of the biggest names in electronic music, including Eric Prydz, Knife Party, and Avicii. According to the San Jose Mercury News, while there were a few dozen drug-related arrests at this year’s events, there weren’t any deaths. Unfortunately, that hasn’t always been the case. At last year’s event, a 22-year-old woman died after falling from her hotel on the Vegas Strip. A story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal stated that members of the woman’s family said she was experiencing delusions as a result of drugs she had taken earlier that night. Additionally, prior to the event moving to Las Vegas, a 15-year-old girl died at the 2010 event in Los Angeles after being treated for drug intoxication. The Paradiso Music Festival is another recent example of just how dangerous drug use can be at summer music events. As highlighted by NWCN, of the 72 people admitted to the hospital during this four-day event, between 40 and 50 were under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Sadly, one of those patients died. The Risks of Ecstasy In addition to potential effects that include fatigue, exhaustion, and anxiety, the biggest risks associated with Ecstasy use at hot summer music events are its potential to cause dangerous increases in body temperature and/or dehydration. These risk factors are the most common reasons why Ecstasy was the cause of over 5,000 people being sent to the emergency room in 2001 alone. Is Anything Being Done? Treatment options like substance abuse detoxification are the long-term solutions for individuals who are addicted to drugs like Ecstasy. But what about short-term strategies for the organizers of summer music events? In addition to generally having a presence of both uniformed and undercover police officers, some events actually offer amnesty boxes. As described in a USA Today article about Coachella, amnesty boxes give people who have second thoughts about using or selling drugs they brought a way to get rid of them without any questions being asked. While no legal action is taken against someone who uses an amnesty box, if they ignore it and choose to enter the venue with drugs, it’s standard protocol to be arrested if they’re caught. (Photo via)