Festival goers can turn in drugs at Escapade– no questions asked!
Escapade and Ottawa Police are teaming up for a drug amnesty program during this weekend’s festival at Lansdowne. People will be able to enter a 10x10 tent and drop off the illegal drugs in the amnesty bins before entering the festival.
Ali Schafaee of Escapade Festival says this is a pilot project between Escapade and Ottawa Police to keep party goers safe. He adds the amnesty program has been done successfully in British Columbia in the past.
Escapade is spending approximately $200,000 on security and overdose prevention for the festival Saturday and Sunday at Lansdowne.
Schafaee says upwards of 80 security guards will be on site, and twenty members of the Canadian Ski Patrol have been hired to handle medical calls. Ottawa Paramedics have been privately hired and will set up two triage centres.
Escapade says its own safety patrol will be patrolling the site to interact with festival goers and hand out water.
Escapade is one of the first major musical festivals in Ottawa this summer. The electronic music festival was forced to move from the Rideau Carleton Raceway to Lansdowne this year.
Schafaee says Escapade must do as much as it can to put safety measures in place to keep people safe. He adds Escapade hopes its work with Ottawa Public Health and Ottawa Paramedics will make the festival as “safe as possible.”
