Festival health risks unpacked

Being ill when you’ve only got a tent for shelter and portable toilets are the closest thing to a bathroom is not fun. Having thousands of people enjoying the music and freedom of a festival won’t improve things.

Make sure you come away with good memories by being prepared for the health risks, such as:

• long hours outdoors in the sun
• drinking alcohol
• trying recreational drugs
• getting an infection
• eating food prepared in temporary settings

A few simple habits can make a big difference so that you and your friends can enjoy the festival experience safely.

Below is some detailed information, but a few of your key takeaways should be:

• look after your mates and stick together
• don’t mix drinks and drugs
• get help early
• welfare teams won’t judge

Sun, heat, and dehydration

Time can move quickly when you’re moving between stages, so you might not notice how much sun you’re getting. Sunburn can happen quickly.

Add to that the physical activity combined with alcohol and/or drugs, and you’re at high risk of dehydration and heat-related illness.

What you can do to avoid sunburn, heat-related illness, and dehydration

• Pack a refillable water bottle (if permitted).
• Wear weather-appropriate clothing.
• Use suncream with a high SPF and reapply it regularly, especially if you're sweating.
• Take regular breaks in the shade.
• Drink more than enough water throughout the day to replace what you’re losing through sweating, alcohol, and drugs.
• Wear a hat, sunglasses, and lightweight clothing.

When to get help

Make efforts to find shade, hydrate, and cool down if you or someone else has signs of heat-related illness, such as being very thirsty or dizzy, having a headache or muscle cramps, or feeling sick or unable to eat.

Get urgent medical help if someone has symptoms of heatstroke, such as:

• very hot but dry skin (not sweating)
• rapid heartbeat
• shortness of breath
• confusion
• a seizure or fit
• loss of consciousness

Alcohol: know your limits

Drinking alcohol, especially heavily, can increase the chances of dehydration, injuries due to accidents, vomiting, alcohol poisoning, and unsafe decisions.

Switching between alcoholic drinks and water, and eating regularly, can prevent alcohol-induced illness. Make sure to eat before drinking alcohol as it slows absorption.

Pace yourself throughout the day and take time off from alcohol to have fun and dance (or mosh)! Have your water bottle handy if it’s hot and you are dancing a lot.

Body size and medications can affect how alcohol moves through your system. Remember that everyone is different, so what one friend can manage might be too much for you or others.

Don’t feel pressured to drink more than you’re comfortable with and watch out for your friends. Never leave a friend who is very drunk alone.

When to get help

If someone has any of these symptoms, treat it as an emergency:

• loss of conscious or difficulty waking
• breathing slowly or irregularly
• having a seizure
• repeatedly vomiting

Driving home

Make sure to stop drinking with enough time for the alcohol to flush out of your system before you get behind the wheel. The average liver takes about one hour to process one unit of alcohol, and there’s no way of speeding it up.

To be safe, switch to alcohol-free drinks at least 12 hours before you get behind the wheel. You could also get your own breathalyser. The cost of it will be far less than the consequences if you’re over the limit.

Don’t forget that drugs can also affect your driving, so make sure anything you take will be out of your system before you leave.

Drugs and unexpected substances

The safest option is always not to use drugs, but if you or a friend becomes very unwell after taking something, don't be afraid to seek help. Festival medical teams are there to keep you safe, not to judge you.

Be honest about what may have been taken so they can provide appropriate care.

Keep in mind that illegal drugs can be unpredictable. Never assume that because something is sold as a familiar drug, it is necessarily what it claims to be.

Mixing drugs can also put extra strain on your body. For example, alcohol calms you down and reduces anxiety, while cocaine gives you a rush, so mixing them might seem like a recipe for a good time. However, mixing alcohol and cocaine causes your liver to produce a substance called cocaethylene which is toxic and very bad for your heart.

You may not know:

• what exactly a substance contains
• how strong it is
• how it will interact with alcohol or other drugs.

This can make the effects difficult to predict and increase the risk of overdose or other serious reactions.

Even if you don’t intend to take drugs, there is unfortunately the risk of spiking. Don’t leave drinks unattended and think about what other precautions you can take, such as using anti-spiking devices. If a drink tastes or looks funny, throw it away immediately.

If you are going to a festival with a person who could be at risk of opioid overdose, or you want to be extra safe, you could take naloxone. It is a drug that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

Naloxone can be supplied without prescription by drug services and pharmacies who provide opioid substitution therapy. Some festivals will have naloxone available for medical emergencies.

What does an overdose look like?

Signs of an overdose can include:

• loss of consciousness or being unresponsive
• very shallow breathing (or not breathing at all)
• making gurgling sounds or loud, raspy 'snoring'
• lips or fingertips that have gone pale or blue

Festival hygiene: infections and food poisoning

Crowds in hot, dusty, or muddy conditions, combined with shared toilets and limited access to showers, can create a breeding ground for bacteria. If you get a cut or blister while at a festival, it can easily become infected.

If you're sexually active, remember that festivals don't change the usual risks of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Be wary of what you’re eating and drinking. Outdoors and temporary kitchens, or food that you bring with you, can become a health hazard due to poor storage, handling, or preparation. Food poisoning can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach cramps, and fever. When you’re camping, this will be particularly miserable.

Here are some tips to prevent illness while at a festival:

• wash your hands when you can (especially after using toilets and before eating) and use hand sanitiser when washing isn't practical
• keep cuts clean and covered
• don't share drinks, vapes, or other items that come into contact with your mouth
• use condoms to reduce the risk of many STIs (and pregnancy) and get tested as soon as possible if you're concerned after sex
• choose food from vendors that appear clean and busy
• check that hot food is served piping hot
• if you're bringing your own food, keep anything that needs refrigeration properly chilled

don't eat food that has been left sitting out for too long

Look after your friends, and let them look after you

One of the best safety measures at a festival is having people around you who will notice when something isn't right.

These are some measures you and your friends can take to look after each other:

• agree on a meeting point in case you get separated
• keep your phone charged where possible and regularly check in with friends
• make sure you bring any essential medication with you and ask your friends to remind you to take it
• if you have a medical condition, make sure the people with you know and consider wearing a medical alert pendant or bracelet
• if someone is behaving in a way that worries you, get help
• pace yourself, take breaks, eat properly, and pay attention to how you and your friends are feeling

You don't have to miss out on the fun to stay safe.

Looking after yourself and your friends means you're all more likely to enjoy the whole festival and remember it for the right reasons.

Further information

We post tips about a variety of related health topics on our TikTok channel:

• Follow us on TikTok @berkshealthnhs: Follow us on TikTok @berkshealthnhs