Stereosonic: Woman dies, another in coma

A young woman is dead and another is in an induced coma after attending the Stereosonic music festival in Sydney.

“If drugs were decriminalised – or even legalised – we are of the view that (based on evidence) less people would be harmed, less people would take drugs, drugs would be cleaner, money wouldn’t be wasted on police, consumers would be better informed and the courts wouldn’t be clogged up with drug possession offences”.

The 25-year-old woman reportedly felt ill at the event, and was taken to Concord Hospital where she died.

“This number is alarming and disappointing, especially after we warned revellers about the dangers of drug use”, Assistant Commissioner Frank Mennilli said.

Music fans at Stereosonic at Olympic Park in 2014.

This isn’t the first time the festival has come under fire for its culture.

There were also 23 people issued with cannabis cautions.

A spokesperson for event organisers Totem Onelove Group expressed its sympathy to the family of the woman who died and said the matter was now one for police and the coroner.

Mennilli said that the police’s efforts of warning people of drug use have fallen on deaf ears and this needs to change.

Police have been called to Sydney Olympic Park twice in the past week to find individuals attempting to drill holes in buildings and stash dozens of ecstasy pills before the site goes into “lockdown” this week.

A major police operation – involving officers from South West Metropolitan Region, the Dog Unit, Mounted Unit, Public Order and Riot Squad, Traffic and Highway Patrol, and Police Transport Command – was focused on the precinct for a variety of events in numbers thought to be the biggest seen since the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

He said drug manufacturers, dealers and suppliers “don’t care” about the potential deadly effects on drug users. “They make these tablets and drugs in the backyard, they put impurities in it”, he said.

Another woman is in induced coma and around 120 festival-goers have been treated for over-consuming drugs at the do.