Pubdate: Sun, 10 Aug 2014
Source: Calgary Sun, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2014 The Calgary Sun
Contact: http://www.calgarysun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://www.calgarysun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/67
Author: Dave Dormer
Page: 3

FESTIVAL REACTS TO DRUG PROBLEMS

'You can't chaperone 14,000 people'

Apart from having pat downs at the entrance and roving security, 
organizers of the Chasing Summer music festival say there is little 
they can do to stop party-goers taking illegal drugs.

"You can't be a chaperone for 14,000 people - the best we can do is 
make sure we have systems in place that can handle any kind of 
contingency imaginable," said Dave Johnston, creative director with 
Union Events, the company behind the show.

Six people were taken to hospital from the electronic dance music 
festival at Fort Calgary on Friday night, suffering from suspected 
drug and alcohol overdoses.

"People are going to try to do what they do, we can't control what 
they do outside of the gates.

"At the end of the day, whatever happens inside when we get them in 
here, we have to do our best to look after them."

Johnston said security measures are in place to stop people from 
bringing illegal drugs into the Fort Calgary grounds and first aid is 
available.

"We're very proud our safety and security plan worked as it should as 
the people were treated and helped in a quick and safe manner," he said.

"We have a zero tolerance policy at our gates, we have full pat down 
and search, we have a full paid police contingency here, we have 15 
EMT paramedics on site and we also have 150 security guards who are 
highly trained."

The largest outdoor electronic music festival in western Canada, some 
14,000 attended Chasing Summer on Friday and a similar number was 
expected Saturday for the 18-and-over show headlined by world famous 
DJs Tiesto and Hardwell. The overdoses come on the heels of a spate 
of deaths at festivals across the country.

A Leduc woman, 24-year-old Lynn Tolocka, died after overdosing at the 
Boonstock in Penticton last weekend.

Two people - a 20-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man - died and 15 
others were hospitalized at the Veld Music Festival in Toronto 
earlier this week.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom