Spilt Milk Under Fire For Refusing Tampons, Sunscreen Into Festival Grounds

Canberra festival Spilt Milk is coming under fire after security guards reportedly refused to let patrons in with tampons and pain medications – hardly your normal banned substances.

The festival took place last Saturday, with Lorde, Vance Joy and Alison Wonderland headlining, but punters had a hard time just getting into the festival in the first place.

Steph Skinner, a 22-year-old Canberra local, told PEDESTRIAN.TV how she was forced to smuggle in tampons and painkillers after being told she wasn’t allowed to bring them in by a female security guard.

“I arrived at the security checkpoint and emptied the contents of my bag, and the security guard pointed to my tampons and Naprogesic and told me, ‘You’re not allowed to bring either of those items in’,” she said.

“I responded with, ‘What do you mean? I need these!’ to which she responded, ‘Well, what do you need them for?’ That really bothered me because it should be pretty clear what a box of tampons and period medication is for, but I had told her it was because I had period pain regardless.”

She was told if she wanted to bring them in, she would have to go the security checkpoint and have her items given the all-clear. However, ambulance volunteers at the checkpoint told her that as the Naprogesic wasn’t a prescription medication, she wouldn’t be able to take it in – despite the fact that it was a new, sealed packet.

“What really bothers me is that other items such as cigarettes were permitted without any issues, and they weren’t checking pockets at all. The inconsistency of the rules makes no sense, if they were truly concerned about the presence of illegal drugs they should be doing more than just taking away basic medication and tampons.”

Another Spilt Milk attendee, Ellyse, 23, told P.TV that she had a bottle of sunscreen confiscated, although she had been allowed to take in painkillers.

“I have had a third degree burn on my leg and because of that I have to use a special sunscreen. I explained that and they wouldn’t let me take it in because there was sunscreen provided at the event.

“It’s [also] a major risk because not everyone is going to line up to get sunscreen. I’d rather stay listening to music and put my own on.”

P.TV has also been sent accounts that security guards confiscated allergy medication and unwrapped chewing gum – as well as confiscating other peoples’ sunscreen and painkillers – but has not been able to verify these events.

Spilt Milk lists over-the-counter and loose medications in its banned items list, but makes no mention of sunscreen.

In a statement, festival organisers told P.TV apologised for the tampon incident, explaining that it had likely been a mistake by one security guard, but reiterated that certain medications are on the banned items list.

“The safety of the 25,000 patrons is our top priority and as such we have strict entry terms and conditions including banned items and restrictions around medication and liquids,” said a spokesperson for Kicks Entertainment, which puts on Spilt Milk.

“Every security guard working on the entry was individually briefed including being provided with a printed copy of the banned items list and medication procedures. Tampons are not a banned item unless tampered with and are provided free at First Aid in case.”

The festival says it’s taken the issue up with the security management company to ensure something like this didn’t happen again, but declined to comment on what that might be.

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