Seventeen people attending Chasing Summer festival in Calgary this weekend were sent to the hospital due to drug and alcohol related incidents.According to CBC, 10 women and seven men ranging from 18-years-old to their mid-30s required emergency medical attention at the festival, held annually at Fort Calgary. Stuart Brideaux, the spokesperson for the local EMS, told CBC that most incidents were caused by a combination of alcohol and "at least one illicit drug."
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Calgary EMS cite the use of MDMA, ecstasy, cocaine, GHB, ketamine, and marijuana throughout the incidents.Five of the seventeen people are said to be in serious condition and one is in life-threatening condition. The remaining eleven are said to be stable."Many were aggressive or quite violent towards first responders and had to be contained in some way," Brideaux told the CBC, "either through physical straights, or the use of chemical restraints, or with the assistance of Calgary police."Chasing Summer festival dealt with similar issues last year, where six people were treated for drug and alcohol-related medical incidents.Fellow Canadian electronic music festivals VELD and Digital Dreams took new measures this year to amp up their on-site health and safety precautions. Party safety and harm reduction organization TRIP! Project was on site at both events, providing attendees with health and safety resources and amenities.This year's Chasing Summer festival included acts like Tiesto, Kaskade, DVBBS and Carnage.