Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Rock the Docks in Destin, Florida: Music Festival Drug Use, Abuse and How to Stay Safe

Rock the Docks Concert Series in Destin, Florida takes places in HarborWalk Village every Saturday night throughout the summer. As a live music venue, locals and tourists alike are attracted to this unique and exciting event. Live music festivals are a great way for people to celebrate their favorite musicians. However, many of these music events are about much more than music. Music festivals have long been a popular venue for drug and alcohol abuse as well and continue to draw participants who are looking to party.

If you are planning on attending Rocks the Docks or other music venues this summer, it is important to know the various risks associated with concert drug and alcohol abuse. Festival drugs, such as MDMA and LSD, are increasingly a part of the festival experience for many people. These drugs come with considerable risks, especially when combined with alcohol. Let’s look at the potential dangers of concert drug abuse and how to stay safe. 

Common Festival Drugs
Music festivals are a great place for dancing, lights and music. However, some attendees use drugs to intensify the experience or to experiment while others just want to keep partying long after normal energy levels wear off. Some of the most commonly abused drugs at music festivals include:

- Alcohol - Lowers inhibitions and keeps people relaxed; at a music festival, alcohol may help people feel more comfortable socializing; although risks are often minimized because alcohol is not legal, high alcohol quantities can have serious consequences;
- Marijuana - Causes feelings of relaxation and euphoria; associated with memory problems, altered sense of time and difficulty problem solving; when combined with other drugs and/or alcohol, it can cause users to develop hallucinations or delusions;
- MDMA/Molly/Ecstasy - MDMA is a synthetic drug that increases energy, sensory perception and emotional balance and distorts a user’s sense of time; ecstasy is popular at festivals because of it increases a sense of connectivity to those around you; MDMA is often pressed with adulterants like ketamine, cocaine, bath salts or amphetamines, making it especially dangerous for users who may have a bad reaction;
- Cocaine/Crack - Cocaine and crack cocaine are stimulants which give users extreme bouts of energy, hypersensitivity to sensory inputs and occasional paranoia; energetic effects at festivals contribute to hours of dancing, although the crash effects of stimulants can cause users to binge or re-dose to avoid coming down with dangerous effects.

Other common drugs abused at music festivals include opioids, LSD, mushrooms, Adderall and various hallucinogens. Each of these drugs presents their own dangers, but often concert goers will ingest multiple drugs at once, increasing the individual effects of each. Emergency services reported a doubling in incidents involving MDMA and LSD along with other festival drugs at concerts in the last decade. Many of the dangerous consequences have to do with conditions at festivals. Drugs and alcohol may seem like a great way to keep energy up, but when combined with high heat and dehydration, they can be a recipe for disaster. 

Stay Safe at Rock the Docks

If you’re planning on attending Rock the Docks, know that there are many ways to stay safe. Stay hydrated and avoid taking drugs or drinking excessively, if possible. Surround yourself with people who plan to enjoy celebrations responsibly and who can look out for you. Educate yourself on the signs and symptoms of health issues related to drugs, dehydration and overheating. Do not be afraid to reach out for a support system either. Contact Blu By the Sea, a Destin rehab facility, to learn more about how you can stay safe and sober this summer.

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