Summer Music Festivals

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The month of August has been accompanied with more beautiful weather and many opportunities to enjoy the many activities that comes along with summer. In particular, music festivals are a popular summer past time for individuals of all ages, and August is jam packed with a variety of music festivals to attend all over British Columbia. The energy of the crowds, enjoying the beautiful weather outside with friends and loved ones, and of course, the great music that these festivals offer is more than enough to get excited about. And while we understand that sipping on a cold beverage or two while enjoying the festivities can be satisfying, we wish to spread some caution regarding other party favors that appear to be highly accessible at these events.

The rates of drug use, including marijuana, ecstasy, mushrooms, cocaine, and other party drugs are exponentially higher and unfortunately, injuries, accidents, and deaths caused by drug use are also frighteningly more common. According to several health officials, party drugs are becoming more readily available AND more deadly. These drugs are not made under conditions of any form of quality control and as such, are often mixed with lethal and hazardous substances such as arsenic, rat poison, and bath salts. People with little knowledge as to what is actually in them or how the different chemicals may interact in our bodies are selling them to people who are then taking them with no clue as to what they are actually ingesting. Furthermore, even without dangerous additives, consuming drugs like ecstasy can be life threatening. Ecstasy often gives people the energy to dance for hours, and that type of vigorous exercise in the sun for hours can lead to overheating and prompt individuals to consume too much water. When this happens there can be an electrolyte imbalance in our bodies, which can cause brain swelling, comas, or death. Even if you happen to avoid these risks, some research has indicated that following the consumption of ecstasy or MDMA there is an irreversible loss of Serotonin in our brains. A deficiency of Serotonin has been linked to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, insomnia, and aggression. When we start adding up all the risks and negative harms associated with drug use the question of “is it really worth it?’ seems to become kind of rhetorical.

We want you to get out and enjoy this last month of summer. Take full advantage of the music, the great food, and the culture that all the music festivals have to offer. And while you are having a blast, we invite you to take the Be You Promise and show that you can have fun and safe time without the use of drugs. Remember, you only have one body and one mind, and ingesting unknown and potentially hazardous substances to have a few hours or fun is just not worth it. So don’t risk your health by taking pills that could cause you serious harm.

Take the BE YOU PROMISE and be the best you, the healthiest you, and the happiest you that you can possibly be.

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