New Study Ranks EDM Fans As Most Likely To Use Drugs At Festivals

A new study ranks EDM lovers as the group of music fans most likely to use drugs at music festivals.

The study, titled Drug Safety at Music Festivals, was conducted by a team of researchers at Boca Recovery Center. They surveyed over 1,000 American festivalgoers to discover their substance consumption habits, like what and how much they consume, and the precautions they take, like drug testing and other harm reduction strategies.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given dance music and rave culture’s historical linkage with drug use, 37% of surveyed EDM fans admitted to using drugs at music festivals, ranking No. 1 in the category ahead of alternative and blues fans at 29% each and rock fans at 27%.

Of the surveyed EDM fans, 78% said they drink alcohol at music festivals, placing just behind rap and reggae fans, out of which 80% said they drink alcohol at festivals. Just 17 percent of EDM fans said they stay sober. They’re also the most likely to use MDMA (21%), mushrooms (18%), LSD (13%), Adderall (9%), and cocaine (8%), according to the study.

Among the festivals visited by study participants, Electric Daisy Carnival attendees reported the highest rate of drug use at 39%. Burning Man and Bonnaroo attendees followed closely at 38% and 37%, respectively. 

EDC attendees are also the most likely to use MDMA (27%), LSD (17%), and Adderall (10%), according to the study. Though markedly fewer Ultra attendees reported using drugs at 21% of the total, the Miami festival is home to the highest rate of cocaine use among festivalgoers at 8%. However, attendees of both festivals ranked among the most likely to test their stuff.

On average, three in every four festivalgoers reported using a substance at festivals. They spend an average $200 to procure these substances, comprising roughly $111 spent on drugs and $89 spent on alcohol over the course of the festival. 

When it comes to safety, the most common precautions taken by festivalgoers using substances are staying hydrated (65%), eating regularly (50%), and staying with friends or family (43%), according to the study. Less than three in 10 festival attendees using drugs were found to test them prior to use.

Read the full report from Boca Recovery Center here.

Featured image from Pexels.com.