Dedicated on-site medical services have long been recommended to improve health outcomes at mass-gathering events (MGEs). In many countries, they are being reviewed as a mandatory requirement. While it is known that perceptions of risk shape substance use plans amongst outdoor music festival (OMF) attendees, it is unclear if attendees perceive the presence of on-site medical services as a part of the safety net. The aim of this paper is to better understand whether attendees’ perceptions of on-site medical services influence high-risk behaviors like alcohol and recreational drug use at OMFs.

A questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of attendees entering and attending two separate 20,000-person OMFs; one in Canada (Festival A) and one in New Zealand (Festival B). Responses focused on demographics, planned alcohol and recreational drug use, perceptions of medical services, and whether the absence of medical services would impact attendees’ planned substance use.

A total of 851 (587 and 264 attendees for Festival A and Festival B, respectively) attendees consented and participated. Gender distribution was equal and average ages were 23 to 25. At Festival A, 48% and 89% planned to use alcohol and recreational drugs, respectively, whereas at Festival B, it was 92% and 44%. A great majority were aware and supportive of the presence of medical services at both festivals, and a moderate number considered them a factor in attendance and something they would not attend without. There was significant (>10%) agreement (range 11%-46%; or 2,200-9,200 attendees for a 20,000-person festival) at both festivals that the absence of medical services would affect attendees’ planned use of alcohol and recreational drugs.

This study found that attendees surveyed at two geographically and musically distinct OMFs had high but differing rates of planned alcohol and recreational drug use, and that the presence of on-site medical services may impact attendees’ perceptions of substance use risk. Future research will aim to address the limitations of this study to clarify these findings and their implications.

Outdoor music festivals (OMFs) attract large numbers of guests and benefit from the help of large numbers of volunteers. Studies have previously described the injury patterns at OMFs, but no studies have described the use of medication and sales from on-site pharmacies at a large OMF.

The usage of medication and prescriptions in the Medical Health Care Organization (MHCO), including sales from the on-site pharmacy, at the Roskilde (Denmark) Festival 2015 were prospectively recorded.

In excess of 130,000 attendees (guests and volunteers) participated in the Roskilde Festival 2015. The number of attendees contacting the MHCO was 15,133, of which 3,723 (25%) had a consultation with a doctor. Of all attendees evaluated by a doctor, 669 attendees received some form of medication in relation to the consultation. The MHCO administered and/or handed out a total of 6,494 units of prescription and over-the-counter medication, of which analgesics represented nearly 51%. Asthma was the condition with the highest proportion of attendees requiring pharmaceutical treatment, as 28 out of 48 (58%) received medication during the consultation. Sixty-five attendees received both medicine and a prescription. The MHCO handed out 562 prescriptions. In total, 609 prescriptions were redeemed at the on-site pharmacy. Antibiotics represented more than 78% of all redeemed prescriptions at the on-site pharmacy.

The most utilized medications were analgesics and antibiotics. The data indicate a need for on-site prophylaxis using tetanus toxoid in combination with diphtheria toxoid vaccine and an on-site pharmacy. The content of the formulary at a mass-gathering event should be based on: evacuation time by ambulance/helicopter to hospitals with the level of competence needed; types of conditions to be treated on-site; level of competencies of festival medical staff; expected incidence and type of illness and injuries; and treatment of acute, life-threatening illnesses and or injuries.

Mass-gathering music events, such as outdoor music festivals (OMFs), increase the risk of injuries and illnesses among attendees. This increased risk is associated with access to alcohol and other drugs by young people and an environment that places many people in close contact with each other.

The purpose of this report was to demonstrate how Haddon’s matrix was used to examine the factors that contributed to injuries and illnesses that occurred at 26 OMFs using data from the Ranse and Hutton’s minimum data set.

To help understand the kinds of injuries and illnesses experienced, Hutton et al identified previous patterns of patient presentations at 26 OMFs in Australia. To develop effective prevention strategies, the next logical step was to examine the risk factors associated with each illness/injury event. The Haddon matrix allows event practitioners to formulate anticipatory planning for celebratory-type events.

What was evident from this work was that the host, the agent, and the physical and social environments contributed to the development of injuries and illness at an event. The physical environment could be controlled, to a certain extent, through event design, safety guidelines, and legislation. However, balancing cultural norms, such as the importance placed on celebratory events, with the social environment is more difficult.

The use of the Haddon matrix demonstrates that interventions need to be targeted at all stages of the event, particularly both pre-event and during the event. The opportunity to promote health is lost by the time of post event. The matrix provided vital information on what factors may contribute to injury at OMFs; form this information, event planners can strategize possible interventions.

HuttonA , SavageC , RanseJ , FinnellD , KubJ . The Use of Haddon’s Matrix to Plan for Injury and Illness Prevention at Outdoor Music Festivals. Prehosp Disaster Med2015; 30(2):1-9