Eight people are in a critical condition following suspected drug overdoses at a rave in Melbourne on Saturday night.
Paramedics at the Hardmission Festival in Melbourne treated eight punters before they were conveyed to hospital. "What appears to have happened is quite a number of people have overdosed or had a reaction to an MDMA derivative drug," Victorian Ambulance Union Secretary Danny Hill told the Herald Sun.
He said seven of the patients were placed into an induced coma and required breathing tubes. "It's quite a high level treatment that our paramedics perform and its reserved for our most time critical patients and patients in life threatening health conditions," he said.
Mr Hill said people going to such events need to find out about the dangers of taking illegal drugs such as ecstasy.'I think this highlights the dangers of some of the drugs that are passed around at rave parties and why there needs to be mechanisms to try and protect against them – it raises the issue of pill testing and pill checking.'
According to the ABC, Mr Hill said, "it highlights the need for better drug education, whether it's pill checking or pill testing... it's just deadly. These drugs aren't made in a batch of seven or eight so it's terrifying to think that these drugs are out there and could do enormous harm to a lot of other people."
On Friday, promoters United Music Events posted an announcement on the their Facebook Page, "Your safety is our top priority at Hardmission! Embrace the party responsibly by exploring our Harm Minimization guidelines. From hydration stations to first aid points, we've got you covered. Let's create a festival experience that's not only unforgettable but safe for everyone. Dance responsibly, look out for one another, and let's make memories that last a lifetime!"
Volunteers from DanceWize – a peer-based alcohol and other drugs (AOD) harm reduction program – were also on hand.
United Music Events was founded in 2005 with the aim of presenting major high-quality dance events in Central and Eastern Europe. Since its inception, United Music has organized more than 100 events in the Czech Republic, mainly in Prague. Since 2014 United Music has expanded to organize events around the world and currently hosts events in Europe, Asia and Australia. The United Music team consists of Dutch, Czech and Slovak employees and has offices in the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and the UAE.
