The suspected drug overdose deaths of two young people at the Defqon.1 festival has not deterred those attending Saturday’s Listen Out festival from taking drugs, according to one reveller.
Police arrested 159 people for drug offences at the event in Sydney’s Centennial Park, including five for drug supply offences.
It comes just two weeks after Joseph Pham, 23, and Diana Nguyen, 21, died at the Defqon. 1 music festival in the city’s west.
Despite warnings issued by police, and the use of both uniformed and covert officers, Janaye Desmond, 22, claimed drug use on Saturday continued unabated
Despite warnings issued by police, and the use of both uniformed and covert officers, Janaye Desmond, 22, claimed drug use on Saturday continued unabated.
Even though festival attendees would have had no idea if the person standing next to them was an undercover policeman, Ms Desmond told the Sydney Morning Herald they seemed to have forgotten about the events of a fortnight ago.
‘I think the deaths from Defqon. 1 scared everyone for a day but then they just forgot about it – they think ‘it’s not going to happen to me’,’ she told the publication.
‘I think the deaths from Defqon. 1 scared everyone for a day but then they just forgot about it – they think ‘it’s not going to happen to me’,’ she told the publication (pictured right)
159 people were arrested for drug offences at the event in Sydney’s Centennial Park, including five for drug supply offences
‘The drug presence was still big – everywhere you looked you could tell people were on it.
‘We even saw a guy uncontrollably rolling on the ground talking to himself, which scared us’.
Another reveller told the Sydney Morning Herald though police ‘were taking more care of people’ despite the number of arrests.
Twelve people were taken to hospital from the event, including seven drug users.
A 21-year-old Victorian woman and a 23-year-old Sydney man died from drug overdoses after attending Defcon.1 in Penrith, Western Sydney, two weeks ago
Operation Commander Superintendent Karen McCarthy said the majority of festivalgoers at Centennial Park were well-behaved.
‘However there appears to be a small section of the community that continues to possess and deal in illegal substances despite our warnings.’
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced an expert panel featuring more than 60 music industry representatives will be assembled to discuss how to make music events safer.
Joseph Pham, 23, (pictured) was one of the two people who died from suspected drug overdoses at the Defqon. 1 festival