Don’t do drugs, kids,

But since you are probs def going to, here are some ground rules aka “tips to stay lit, fam” from a healthcare worker

1 . Don’t get ’em at the farm from someone you don’t know

• We’re all friends here at the farm and we radiate positivity and all that jazz, but let’s not pretend it’s impossible that at least 1 person out of 1,000 could possibly have a mean streak, want to get way too high or have way higher tolerances than casual users. This year it was sold out for the first time in 6 years which, including staff, topped out at a headcount of around 125,000. So, that one problem child in a thousand was here at a hundredfold numbers. I get that you may not have access to drugs in your hometown of Bobtown, Pennsylvania, but for some reason the bunk police are frowned upon by security making farm-market bought recreational drugs riskier than just taking them and following the bad dad’s advice of “just take half”.

2 . Don’t smoke joints you didn’t see rolled

• This seems obvious, but I can tell you of at least three patients I personally witnessed who fell for the whole “lemme show you how to roll that blunt” spiel by a stranger in the crowd who pulls out their own supply to add. One hit and dude’s lips immediately went numb. Fentanyl laced weed is a problem in Tennessee. The LD50, or lethal dose for 50% of first-time users is not to be taken lightly as casual festival drug users are generally opiate-naive. A lethal amount can be easily sprinkled on a joint or blunt that multiple people share. This picture is painted with broader strokes as the opioid epidemic puts more victims into a painless respiratory depression.

3 . Don’t do something for the first time at roo

• Hallucinogens have wildly varying effects on different people. Mood, setting and surroundings play a major part in the positive or negative feelings. Good or bad vibes can be controlled at home with a certifiably sober trip-sitter. Try it there in a controlled environment first, not in the midst of one of Tennessee’s biggest pop-up cities. Molly comes in rolls which can hit you for the first time in a crowd of +1,000 strangers turning you into a 160-lb 5 year-old wanting to ride the medics back while kicking your heels up to your chin. Acid rises in waves uploading your mind to the wifi of the universe which oftentimes turns you into a rabid animal foaming at the mouth and jabbering about being the Creator of God, explaining that Heaven and Hell are the same, life and death happen together. There is still time! YOU DO UNDERSTAND! Molly is less violent with mostly involuntary humping motions and incontinent gyrations. Acid, on the other hand, turns sweet, glitter-covered tweens into hulking monsters capable of busting restraints while chattering incessantly about how they’ve transcended. Sometimes, they’re not wrong. They aren’t with us any longer. Then, there’s candy-flipping to throw a wrench in the mix. Nonetheless, if you’re a danger to others, you will be strapped down and chemically restrained to protect those around you. So, do yourself and your wallet a service by not experimenting at a festival that cost you $300+ because most times, these trippers don’t remember their breakdowns, much less the shows they actually paid to see.

4 . Don’t do them alone

• I can’t tell you the number of times our patients have been found alone with minimal responsiveness with no identifying information on them. Stay with your friends! Medics will not be “getting you in trouble“. No one is going to “call your dad”. No, no one is going to “make fun of you” for having a drunk or drugged-up friend. Yes, these are legit fears I’ve personally heard voiced as reasons for ditching inebriated friends. Bumped head fully equipped with the roonicorn horn from inch-high bruise, drunk beyond walking and all it takes is vomiting while lying on your back to be the last stupid thing you ever do. I’ve personally lost friends to the exact same thing who weren’t with the right group that fateful night. Don’t do drugs alone. The rule in my high school days was to have a trip sitter. Trip sitters save lives!

So, in closing, doing drugs is a risk. Recreational use can sincerely become full-on neurotic psychological breaks with reality that you have take home from the farm. Plus the worst part, you’re left with no lasting memories of the fun times and amazing music! Do yourself a favor, share the word and remember these four golden rules if you’re going to do drugs at music festivals.

1. Don’t get ’em at the farm from someone you don’t know
2. Don’t smoke joints you didn’t see rolled
3. Don’t do something for the first time at roo
4. Don’t do them alone

#lotekhealth