CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The bulk of the public health discussion around Lollapalooza is focused on COVID-19 safety protocols; but Lollapalooza weekend is a busy time for ER doctors treating festival-goers who suffer alcohol poisoning or drug overdoses.
Dr. Steven Aks, Chair of the Toxicology Division at Cook County Health, said hotter weekends can make things worse for some drug users.
"Many of the drugs that are used are molly or ecstasy-like compounds, and one of their side effects is that they can actually cause your temperature to raise. When you add the increased temperature from the drug plus the environment, folks can really get quite sick," Dr. Aks said.
He said the bulk of hospital admissions during Lollapalooza weekend has been for alcohol poisoning, especially among underage drinkers.
"We've been dominated in past years with underage and also naive users of alcohol getting in way over their heads and really becoming disoriented," he said.
Dr. Aks advised people to stick with friends and substances that they can trust.
"Folks should be really careful and again, stay with your groups of friends. If someone passes you something and you don't know what it is, you should be prepared that you are getting anything," Dr. Aks said.
His advice is to be smart and to be sensible.
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