Music festival drug overdoses: 18 people treated at Knockout Outdoor, Listen Out
>
Horror kicks off Australian party season with 18 drug overdoses at two music festivals over the weekend – with sniffer dogs and amnesty bins failing to deter the dangerous behavior of revelers
- Party season started with Knockout Outdoor and Listen Out on Saturday
- Festivals were held in Sydney Olympic Park and Centennial Park respectively
- Eighteen people were hospitalized during the events with suspected drug overdoses
- Police arrested more than 70 people for drug possession and four for drug delivery
<!–
<!–
<!–<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
During a horror weekend, 18 people at two music festivals were rushed to hospital after drug overdose, despite the introduction of amnesty boxes and a heavy police presence with sniffer dogs.
The Australian party season kicked off Saturday night with Knockout Outdoor in Sydney Olympic Park and Listen Out in Centennial Park, which attracted tens of thousands of revelers.
More than 70 people were arrested for drug possession and another four for supplying drugs.
Fortunately, no deaths have been reported.
Eighteen people at both events were hospitalized with suspected drug overdoses and many more were treated by medical staff (photo, revelers at Listen Out)
The Australian party season kicked off on Saturday night with Knockout Outdoor (pictured) and Listen Out festivals
The arrests and hospitalizations are taking place despite the fact that amnesty bins have been placed at both events so that revelers can dispose of drugs without fear of arrest.
The policy was introduced as the recommendation of a 2020 judicial inquiry into the deaths of six young people at music festivals in NSW between December 2017 and January 2019.
Alex Ross-King, 19, Joshua Tam, 22, Callum Brosnan, 21, Diana Nguyen, 21, Joseph Pham, 23 all died at festivals after taking MDMA or ecstasy.
Five of the six festival-goers also had other illegal substances in their system.
The study also recommended a number of other measures, including pill testing, abolishing the use of sniffer dogs and reducing searches.
The government rejected all recommendations involving police dogs in effect over the weekend to discourage drug use.
Police officers and a drug dog walk among festival-goers at the entrance to Splendor in the Grass 2022 in North Byron Parklands on July 22
More than 44,000 people went to Knockout Outdoor (pictured), while 21,000 people went to Listen Out on Saturday night
Police said they were generally pleased with the crowd’s behavior, but added that people are still putting their health and well-being at serious risk.
‘Illegal drugs break down the fabric of society. Dealers simply see drug users as a trade market and pay little attention to the consequences of drug use,” said Deputy Commissioner Stuart Smith, commander of the South West Metropolitan Region.
“Police will continue to conduct highly visible operations to tackle the use, possession and supply of illegal substances – along with anti-social behavior and alcohol-fuelled violence – especially as large-scale events continue to recur in the summer months.
More than 44,000 people attended Knockout Outdoor, which ran from 2pm to 11pm.
Police said they were generally happy with the crowd’s behavior despite the arrests (photo, festival-goers at Knockout Outdoor)
Twelve people have been hospitalized with suspected overdoses after taking party drugs.
Police arrested 24 people at the drug procession event. While three others were charged with supplying drugs.
Listen Out had a turnout of 21,000 people and started at 12 noon on Saturday.
Six people were hospitalized while 49 revelers were charged with drug rampage.
A 19-year-old man was handcuffed by officers and charged with supplying drugs. Four others were arrested for assaulting the police.