Two overdose as Epik music festival marks return of summer party season
The return of the summer party scene began on Saturday night with thousands packing into the Epik 2021 event at Sydney Showgrounds.
NSW
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Two revellers have suffered suspected drug overdoses at one of the first dance music festivals since the end of lockdown.
The return of the summer party scene began on Saturday night with thousands packing into the Epik 2021 event at Sydney Showgrounds.
NSW Health said two people had been rushed to hospital from the festival as a result of drug overdoses, but that both were in stable conditions.
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“NSW Health can confirm two patients were transferred to hospital from Epik Festival,” a spokesman said.
“Drugs are likely to have been a factor in both of these cases. Both patients are recovering well.
“NSW Health considers early transport to be very important as patients can receive timely high-level medical care in a hospital environment.”
Organised by Harder Styles United the Epik 2021 festival required all those in attendance to be vaccinated fully, while free masks were handed out on arrival.
NSW Police sources said those in attendance were largely well behaved.
A large number of music and dance festivals have been cancelled over the past 12 months due to Covid, but many are scheduled to return over summer.
The impact of Covid also put the issue of festival drug overdoses on the back burner after it was a hot topic of debate in the wake of six deaths at such events between December 2017 and January 2019.
An inquest into the six deaths led the state deputy coroner Harriet Grahame to controversially recommend the introduction of pill testing and the abolition of sniffer dogs.
That recommendation was met with strong opposition from both state government and NSW Police.
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