Summer is well underway, and with it comes the unofficial festival season.
To celebrate – and to help everyone stay safe and healthy through a season of celebration – Island Health has issued several summer tips for festival goers.
“Attending outdoor festivals can offer health benefits. Listening to live music can relieve stress, and dancing can improve your mood,” said Dr. Carol Fenton, medical health officer with Island Health.
“It can also support social well-being if you have a good time with your friends.”
Knowledge and preparation are essential to mitigate risk.
Heat and sun are two of the most obvious health threats during the summer. When the body heats up faster than it can cool itself, people can experience heat stress. Environmental factors – such as direct or indirect sunlight, including reflection off pavement, air temperatures hotter than skin temperature, and high humidity – can make it harder to cool down through sweating.
Other risk factors include wearing excess or warm clothing, not staying hydrated, certain health conditions or medications, and the use of substances like alcohol or MDMA.
Heat stress can lead to other heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke. To guard against heat illness, wear loose-fitting, lightweight clothing, apply sunscreen, drink water, and avoid strenuous activities during the hottest parts of the day.
Noise is another common concern at festivals. To prevent irreversible hearing loss, Island Health recommends wearing ear protection and avoiding close proximity to speakers.
This year in particular, measles has also become a concern. Island Health advises getting vaccinated against measles if you haven’t already. Receiving at least two doses of a measles-containing vaccine is the best way to prevent infection.
Island Health also encourages festival goers to practise safe sex to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections. The agency recommends using condoms, which are often available for free at festival hospitality tents or first aid booths. Pharmacies also offer free emergency contraception, which can help prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or failed birth control, if taken within five days of sexual activity.
Finally, safer substance use is encouraged.
“The science – Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health – shows that even small amounts of alcohol can be damaging to health,” said Island Health.
“Any amount of alcohol above one to two drinks per week can increase the risk of health problems, including injury and violence, cancer, heart disease, and stroke.”
For safer substance use, harm reduction services like drug checking are available at Island Health facilities and through the mail. WILD: Collaborative Harm Reduction Association will also offer free, non-judgmental harm reduction services at select festivals this summer, including Sunfest, Laketown Amphitheatre, the Phillips Reverb Backyard Music Festival and Rifflandia.
For those who use unregulated substances, Island Health recommends having a buddy nearby or using the Lifeguard app, not mixing substances (including pharmaceuticals and alcohol), carrying naloxone, accessing overdose prevention and supervised consumption services where available, and knowing how to recognize the signs of an overdose.
For more information on safe festival practices, visit islandhealth.ca/news/news-releases/vibes-high-risks-low
