Margate venue Dreamland has been ordered by Thanet Council to cancel any scheduled drum & bass events in response to an incident last month in which a seventeen year old died from a suspected MDMA overdose. The local council has made a number of changes to the venue’s licence following a request by Kent Police.
Teenager Emily Stokes died after attending a Worried About Henry event at the Live Nation-owned venue on 29 Jun. In a document provided to Thanet Council, Kent Police revealed that it was aware of “an additional 21 patients who were admitted to hospital suffering with similar symptoms relating to a drugs overdose, all of whom had also been at the Dreamland event”. One person remains in hospital in a medically induced coma.
Despite the severity of the incident, police aren’t seeking to revoke Dreamland’s licence, stating that “in general the premises have been well run”. However, they noted, “the management of events specifically targeted at over sixteens and particular music genres are historically faced with challenges”, referencing previous events at the venue that have resulted in similar issues.
The council has made interim changes to Dreamland’s licence, in particular to events involving drum & bass artists. The venue has also been told to cancel any other shows deemed to have “a higher risk association with class A and B drug use by those under eighteen years of age”.
The venue must also increase the number of licensed security staff for “higher risk events such as trance / garage / grime events”. It will also need to post signage communicating a zero tolerance policy regarding drug use and enforce a rule whereby anyone attending an event under the age of eighteen must be accompanied by an adult over of the age of 25.
On top of those interim changes, Kent Police has requested a full review of Dreamland’s licence. Councillor Karen Constantine has also called for the matter to be discussed by the council’s Health Reform And Public Health Cabinet Committee.
Constantine told the Isle Of Thanet News, “We must establish clarity on exactly what happened at Dreamland on 29 June and devise an updated public health strategy accordingly. I’m no expert in substance misuse, but clearly no person is going to seek to buy dangerous drugs which are likely to harm them in this way. A significant number of young people have very sadly been harmed, including a death and someone in a coma”.
She added, “We all need to better understand exactly what happened and what investigation is taking place and, most importantly, what is now being implemented to prevent a repeat. I believe this to be urgent”.