A 19-year-old man has died, and two more remain in critical condition after the Adelaide leg of the Stereosonic festival. This is the second Stereosonic fatality this year, following the tragic death of 25-year-old Sylvia Choi, who attended the Sydney event.
Few details are know about the teenager at this point, however, police released an image of orange pills stamped with a dollar sign, that they believe might be linked to his death.
While it remains to be seen what steps Stereosonic will take, it is clear that they and other festivals around Australia will need to take concrete action to try and prevent further deaths of this type.
For now, though, the festival have released a statement expressing their grief at “another loss to drugs”, and urging punters to party responsibly. On their Facebook page, they wrote:
Just before 5pm on Saturday 5 December, Police were advised that a man was receiving treatment from paramedics at the Stereosonic music festival in AdelaideHe was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, where he later died.The initial investigation indicates the man had consumed an illicit drug and was in possession of a number of pills. Stereosonic is devastated to hear of another loss to drugs.The pictured pills may be related and Police and Stereosonic once again warn the public of the risks associated with taking any type of illicit substance.We are imploring people to see the dangers of the situation, enjoy the day and please be safe.Our first aid team and staff are here to help.
Just before 5pm on Saturday 5 December, Police were advised that a man was receiving treatment from paramedics at the…
Posted by stereosonic on Saturday, December 5, 2015
A short time later, they followed up with a post urging festival-goers to stay hydrated throughout the day:
Stay hydrated! Free water stations at every venue. ??????
Posted by stereosonic on Saturday, December 5, 2015
A 20-year-old man remains in a critical but stable condition in an Adelaide hospital following the festival, along with a 21-year-old woman. The Guardian report that the 19-year-old man was found to be in possession of a number of other pills.
Earlier this week, we spoke to Will Tregoning, the director of Unharm Australia, who is urging Australian policy-makers to change their stance on illegal drugs:
