Pubdate: Thu, 09 Jul 2015 Source: Metro (Vancouver, CN BC) Copyright: 2015 Metro Canada Contact: http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3775 Author: Thandi Fletcher Page: 7 BEWARE OF DRUGS AND HEAT: CORONER The BC Coroners Service is warning against the dangers of party drugs and extreme heat as summer music festival season gets underway. With the Bass Coast electronic music festival this weekend in Merritt, followed by the Pemberton Music Festival next weekend, coroner Barb McLintock urged concertgoers to practice safe drug consumption. "You have to understand that drug dealers are not good people to trust," she said. "Even if you think you know what you're taking, they might be wrong; you might be wrong." With many music festivals being held in open fields where there is little shade available to escape the scorching temperatures, McLintock said concertgoers also need to be aware of the signs of sunstroke and heatstroke. The warning comes following the death of University of B.C. student Vivek Pandher, who fell ill at a music festival at the George Amphitheatre. Pandher, 22, was found unresponsive at the festival and died Sunday at Vancouver General Hospital. A cause of death has not yet been determined, but McLintock said coroners are looking at heat, hyperthermia and other factors like drugs. Deaths and overdoses are becoming an increasingly common occurrence at music festivals. At last summer's Boonstock Music Festival, 90 concertgoers had to be hospitalized and one person died from a suspected overdose. Nick Phongsavath, 21, of Regina was found dead at the Pemberton Music Festival last July. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt