Defqon. 1 organisers promise raft of bizarre harm reduction measures

The organisers of the Defqon. 1 have promised a raft of harm minimisation measures including hugs, Facebook buddies and drug amnesty bins should this year’s postponed event go ahead.

• Terrifying final moments of revellers revealed
• Doctor frantically shouted for ambulance before death

Hugs at the gate, random Facebook buddies to pair up and amnesty bins for revellers to ditch their drugs when they see police are part of a raft of bizarre proposals to slash deaths at the controversial Defqon. 1 hardcore dance festival, an inquest heard today.

Defqon. 1 organiser Simon Coffey told the NSW Coroners Court that he and his staff were “marked” by the deaths of Diana Nguyen and Joseph Pham at last year’s 30,000-strong crowd event at the Sydney International Regatta Centre, and pledged a litany of harm minimisation measures should this year’s postponed event go ahead.

Defqon organisers announced in May to its fans, dubbed ‘warriors”, that it had postponed the annual party after the NSW Government deemed the International Regatta Centre an unsuitable host venue.

Simon Coffey, from Q-dance which runs Defqon. 1 festival, arriving at the Lidcombe Coroners Court in Sydney. Picture: AAP/Peter Rae

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The Defqon.1 deaths are among six similar fatalities of young revellers - including Nathan Tran, Callum Brosnan, Joshua Tam and Alexandra Ross-King - between December 2017 and January 2019 from MDMA toxicity or complications of MDMA use at NSW music festivals.

Addressing the coroner’s inquest into six festival drug deaths across the state between 2017 and January 2019, Mr Coffey, a father himself, said last year’s electronic music event had a “high profile” police operation, compared to last month’s Netherlands event where there were no deaths and no police.

“In Holland it was 33 degrees, 150,000 people, a heatwave and, thankfully, no fatalities, compared with NSW where there was a high profile police operation and fatalities,” he said.

“There is research to suggest the more inclusive people feel, the less they take drugs … therefore if they are given a hug at the gate, a ‘save a mate’ bracelet and earplugs and made to feel they are being looked after and encouraged to feel part of the community, they’re less likely.

“If they buddy up and make random friends through Facebook and get hugs from that friend, or when they arrive at the gate, we would go further with harm reduction.

“In Holland the culture is open, they’re more honest, from school to all parts of the culture, rather than demonising people for taking drugs — that’s key.”

Core body temperature rising to dangerous levels was a contributing factor in the drug-related festival deaths.

Asked by counsel assisting the coroner, Peggy Dwyer, if Defqon. 1’s social media “celebrate safe” messaging worked, he replied, “it does not.”

“Diana and Joseph’s deaths were a shock to the whole company worldwide, many people who run the festivals are in their 40s and have children themselves, including myself,” he told the court.

“It was a freak situation, it’s marked me, it’s marked a lot of people.”

The Defqon. 1 September 15 event employed 315 ISEC security guards, a strong NSW police contingency, police dog handlers and 33 volunteers from event organisers combing the centre for intoxicated revellers needing medical assistance.

NSW Police have made a temporary application suppressing the number of police officers present at the Defqon. 1 festival last year.

NSW festivals have been under the spotlight since a spate of fatalities.

Joseph Pham, 23, and Diana Nguyen, 21, both died after consuming MDMA at Defqon. 1 on September 15 last year.

If a new venue is found in time to host this year’s event, Mr Coffey told the court it would be scaled down to eight hours and start later, at 2pm or 3pm, to avoid heat exposure.

The Defqon. 1 wish list also includes a large tent with comfortable seating, a gym outside the festival grounds, a three-zone medical tent, a separate medical tent manned by NSW Heath for critical patrons, and one roving medical expert per 1000 revellers.

He said two doctors supplied by Emergency Medical Services working the event was not enough.

All the festival goers who died were aged between 18 and 23.

High on the Defqon. 1 list are amnesty bins which Mr Coffey said worked well at a previous festival his events company Q-dance staged in Blacktown in 2013.

“The bins worked well, I don’t know what happened to the drugs after,” he said.

“If young people see a wall of drugs dogs, police, riot police, and they’ve ingested drugs, it’s very intimidating for them, they will not feel confident going to a police person asking for help,” he said. “Amnesty bins are a responsible idea.”

Originally published as Defqon. 1 organisers promise raft of bizarre harm reduction measures