The Melbourne leg of the Electric Parade Music Festival saw a large number of punters hospitalised last night, with many being suspected of overdosing on the synthetic party drug GHB.
As ABC News reports, the event, which took place at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne’s CBD last night, saw 25 people treated afterwards, with a “fleet of ambulances” taking 22 individuals to the Alfred, Royal Melbourne and St Vincent’s hospitals, many of whom are in critical condition.
Furthermore, 40 arrests were made at the festival, while close to 30 individuals were given diversions with a further two people given cautions for cannabis.
Being held as part of Melbourne’s annual ‘White Night’ celebrations, the event sparked comments from paramedics who said they were ‘disappointed’ with the disproportionately large amount of overdoses.
As The New Daily reports, Ambulance Victoria State Health Commander Paul Holman said that the event was “awash with drugs”. “We’ve transported 22 people from that event alone, and we’re now up to 30-plus from that event and across the city, all with GHB overdoses, all critically ill,” he said.
The Electric Parade Music Festival moves on to Sydney tonight.
