Lollapalooza organizers stress safety plans for festival goers
CHICAGO (CBS)—Clear skies and seasonably warm temperatures are welcome news for the crowds headed to Lollapalooza this weekend, but organizers are still trying to stay a step ahead of any issues.
At Grant Park, they're planning for any health and safety concerns. Bag checks and other safety measures are inside, as organizers learn from past events to keep this one as safe as possible.
With a crowd focused on their favorite headliners, some other Lollapalooza plans blend into the background noise—a strategy to keep festival-goers healthy and safe.
Hydration stations, six medical tents, and Narcan demonstrations are just some components of the plan. Lolla has partnered with the nonprofit This Must Be the Place to staff and provide naloxone, the opioid reversal medicine.
"The street drug supply has never been riskier."
Dr. Mark Loafman is the Chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Cook County Health.
"I think we've learned a lot about some of the safety issues in advance like this. And it's really nice to see the organizers doing some screening and prevention to kind of keep people safe from themselves," Loafman said.
Experts said Stroger Hospital didn't see an uptick in patients due to Thursday's festival. At Rush, they had just four ambulance visits from Lolla.
"The weekend is still young. I think we'll experience our share of patients throughout the weekend," said Dr. Nicholas Cozzi, EMS and Disaster Medicine Medical Director at Rush University Medical Center.
Rush's Nicholas Cozzi focused on what he calls "the Big Three:" hydration, drug use, and hearing and skin protection — key on a long day waiting for the big act.
"I got my sunscreen on. My boyfriend would be proud of me. But up in that I'm excited to get in the festival and I'll be waiting all day. I'll be waiting for Laufey," said festival-goer Leah Tabor.