Rash Of Drug Overdoses During Electronic Music Festival
DETROIT (WWJ) - A Detroit hospital saw an increase in drug overdose cases as people were using so-called "rave" drugs during the Movement Electronic Music Festival, held downtown over Memorial Day weekend.
A spokesman at Detroit Receiving Hospital said there were some deaths and a few people have been left brain dead because they overdosed.
Detroit Receiving Emergency Room Doctor Scott Freeman, who was working in the ER that weekend, believes some festival-goers were taking drugs in an effort to stay up all night partying.
"If someone sold a drug they think is ecstasy, it may not be that. It may be literally a poison, something that affects them in a way that takes their life in just a matter of minutes," Freeman said.
Freeman told WWJ Newsradio 950's Beth Fisher that drugs remains a significant problem in our country.
"Every one of your listeners has a family member affected by drug abuse. Every one of your fellow employees has a family member affected by drug abuse. That's how common a problem this is," he said.
Dr. Freeman said some people view rave drugs as social or clean, but he said they're at least as deadly as any other type of illegal drug.
A spokesman for Movement -The Electronic Music Festival says police and EMS at the festival did not report any drug overdoses. James Canning says the festival does check the belongings of those entering for any inappropriate items or substances.
