Once a year, over 85,000 music lovers from around the world congregate on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, TN. Why? One word – Bonnaroo.
Bonnaroo is an annual music festival held in June and this year is hosting 150+ bands over a four-day time period. We want to think that this would be a fun time for people to simply enjoy their favorite artists, but music festivals have come to be known for drug and alcohol abuse.
Bonnaroo appears to be making strides to combat this problem. According to bonnaroo.com, every vehicle is searched upon arrival and there are strict guidelines on what is and is not allowed into the venue, placing a limit on the amount of alcohol allowed per vehicle and stating that no illegal substances will be tolerated.
On their website, Bonnaroo highlights the dangers of abusing drugs and alcohol, “There’s one easy way to wreck your weekend (and your friends’): drugs and alcohol. Drugs raise your body temperature (sometimes fatally) and drain H20 from your cells, while alcohol dehydrates you. Under the brutal June sun, your body and mind can fry way too easily, and the dangers of combining substances are only multiplied in this environment.”
This is accompanied by a reminder that their number one concern is the well-being of festival-goers. They have a “no questions asked” policy and encourage everyone to seek help at a medical tent if they or a friend are in danger –warning signs.
There are several support communities that attend a number of music festivals throughout the year to act as a safe haven for “sober ravers”, one of them being Soberoo. Soberoo conducts daily meetings and has its own tent set up at Bonnaroo.
Bonnaroo is making an effort to educate people, but we still see continued abuse of illegal substances. If you or any of your friends are making the trip to Manchester this weekend, make the smart decision and report any illegal drug activity or alcohol abuse you see.