Summertime and music: the perfect combination. There’s nothing quite like a warm, sultry weekend in the great outdoors with your friends, singing along and dancing to your favorite bands. Summer music festivals are a great way to have some summertime fun, but adding too much alcohol to the mix can cause the lights to go out long before the show’s is over.
By all means, pop a top or two! Just be aware of the dangers of drinking too much. Overindulging in alcohol at a summer music festivals can lead to serious health and legal consequences. Don’t allow a few too many tallboys to end the party before it’s really begun! Keep these dangers in mind and keep yourself (and those with you) safe.
The Deadly Danger – Dehydration
Alcohol is a diuretic (i.e. it causes you need to pee more frequently), which is of course the absolute last thing you need on a hot summer’s day. A diuretic drastically increases the risk of dehydration, a dangerous condition that can lead to heat stroke and even death, which will ruin your night quicker than an on-stage power outage. That, coupled with the excessive sweating in a sunny, crowded environment, will quickly deplete your water levels, so be careful.
There’s a pretty simply cure for this danger: drink lots and lots of water. Drink water between your drinks. Heck, chase your drinks with water. And know the warning signs of dehydration:
- excessive thirst
- fatigue
- dizziness
- nausea
- headache
Experiencing any of these things? Put the beer down and pick up the water! Buying a bottle of water at the event can be expensive, but you can buy just one and refill it at a sink or drinking fountain (if available). Or, if the event allows, bring your own aqua. Either option is better than a trip to the emergency room!
The Dumb Danger – Herd Mentality
Johnny has a flask of whiskey and he wants you to match him shot for shot. Before long, the music of is a dull buzz in the back of your head and all you can hear is the chorus of voices urging you to best Johnny in this silly competition. Everyone else is doing it, why shouldn’t you?
Here’s a reason: herd mentality (i.e. doing something because everyone else is), coupled with too much alcohol, leads to fights, arrests, and a bunch of people doing really dumb stuff all at the same time. Don’t be a liquor-led lemming! Save yourself the trouble and make a deal with your friends to monitor each other’s drinking. Set a limit you’ll all stick to and buddy up. It’ll save the day for everyone.
The Costly Danger – Legal Consequences
Alcohol lowers your inhibitions and increases your sense of worth – that’s why everyone loves it, right? A few drinks in and suddenly, you’re Superman! Unfortunately, security guards and local police can’t see your cape. A DUI or public intoxication charge isn’t the kind of souvenir you want to take home.
Save yourself the legal trouble and drink responsibly. Know your own limit and stick to it. You paid a lot of money for these festival tickets and they’re not going to do you much good from the the backseat of a police car or - even worse - inside of a jail cell.
Summer music festivals can be amazing, but drinking too much can have disastrous consequences on your health, self-respect and even your freedom. So, drink plenty of water, watch out for your friends and know your limits before you set out, and you won’t miss a single song or memory.
Have you ever come acted irresponisbly at a summer music fest? How would you plan ahead to avoid these dangers?
