Anyone attending this weekend’s Chasing Summer Music Festival in Calgary will not be allowed to bring their own naloxone kit, despite an appeal from public health officials that these drug overdose medications be allowed.
“Given our onsite medical resources and commitment to the health and welfare of all our fans, we want to ensure that only trained medical professionals administer medications to third parties, so we do not permit guests to carry private naloxone kits within festival grounds,” Colin Mathie, director of health and safety for Chasing Summer said in a statement emailed to Global News.
READ MORE: Music festival goers urged to bring drug overdose kits
“If a fan brings a kit with them they will be able to store it in the medical facility onsite and collect it again when they leave the festival.”
In an interview with Global News Monday, Dr. Joanna Oda, a medical officer of health for Alberta Health Services, said they had reached out to festival organizers and asked naloxone be allowed.
“We’ve advised music festivals to encourage their attendees to pick up naloxone kits — the antidote to opioid overdoses — and bring those to areas where they might be using or planning on using.”
Last year, 10 people had to be taken to hospital for drug or alcohol-related issues after attending the Chasing Summer Music Festival.
The year before, 17 people were taken to hospital from the same festival for drug-related issues.
Klayre Cramer attended the two-day event last summer. She said she witnessed widespread drug use and saw several people in medical distress.
“Medical staff couldn’t really keep it under control, me and my friends actually had to bring some people to the medical tent because no one was assisting them.”
READ MORE: 17 people taken to hospital from Calgary music festival for substance abuse issues
Cramer says she believes the decision not to allow naloxone is a mistake. Rosalind Davis, an advocate who lost her partner to a fentanyl overdose last year, agrees.
“I can’t understand their reasoning at all – naloxone saves lives.”
Earlier this month, patrons of the WayHome Music and Arts Festival in southern Ontario were able to trade syringes of the opioid overdose antidote for a nasal spray that has the same effect. Naloxone kits are also permitted onto the grounds of the VELD Music Festival being held in Toronto this weekend.
The Chasing Summer Music Festival happens Aug. 5 and 6 at the Max Bell Centre.
Comments