New laws will hold festival organisers accountable for overdoses
Music festival organisers could face heavy fines or even jail time if they fail to oblige by a set of new laws handed down by the NSW government in an attempt to curb festival deaths.
From March this year festivals will be made to apply for a special liquor license that will involve being approved by the government, police, health officials and paramedics.
Once approved there will be scrutiny over the amount of chill out zones and water stations at the festivals, with fines of up to $110,000 or potential jail time for organisers to be handed down in the event of any drug overdoses.
It’s an extreme move that might be viewed by many as a backward step, with many punters already being in possession of substances when they enter the festival grounds.
Check out Seven News break down the implications of the new laws
The laws come in the wake of a shocking five deaths at music festivals this summer, the most recent of which being Alex Ross-King at FOMO Festival.
The deaths have led many to call for pill-testing to be legalised in the interest of saving lives, an issue that the NSW State Government has refused to budge on for a loooong time.
Last week crowds gathered in Sydney, including MP’s, calling for the government to review its position on substances at festivals, and calling for pill testing to be introduced.
Gladys Berejiklian gets challenged on Sunrise over Pill Testing
Lost Paradise owner Simon Beckingham felt the sting of losing a punter when 22-year-old man Joshua Tam passed away at the event over the new year.
Beckingham penned an open letter that called for the government to “learn from this tragic incident and continue to work together to improve harm reduction measures at future festivals and events.”
As the pressure mounts, only time will tell if the government will bring their head out of the sand and listen to the people….and doctors…and ABC…and 60 Minutes.…and Fairfax….the list goes on.
This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.