A 17-year-old girl, Emily Stokes, has tragically died following a suspected MDMA overdose at the Worried About Henry drum and bass festival held at Dreamland amusement park in Margate, Kent.
Alongside Emily, 21 other teenagers were hospitalised with drug-related symptoms after the event on June 29.
Kent Police declared a major incident after multiple young attendees, including some as young as 15, were rushed to hospital with suspected drug overdoses. The event, aimed at over-16s, had sold 6,300 tickets in advance with an additional 700 sold at the door.
Emily was among those hospitalised but was later pronounced dead. Police believe her death was caused by an MDMA overdose. Her sister, Megan Stokes, paid tribute to her, describing Emily as the “kindest person you could ever meet” and “so full of life” in a crowdfunding appeal to honour her memory.
During the event, Kent Police arrested a man on suspicion of possession with intent to supply illegal drugs at around 5pm. By 7pm, police confirmed that 11 under-18s had been hospitalised, with one still in a medically induced coma.
In response to the incident, Dreamland faces a licensing review and has announced immediate measures including cancelling future drum and bass events and enforcing stricter age controls. New safety steps include increased security presence, zero-tolerance drug signage, and requiring under-18s to be accompanied by an adult aged 25 or over.
A spokesperson for Dreamland said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the young woman’s family and friends. We are fully cooperating with Kent Police as they investigate this tragedy.” Kent Police stated that allowing the event to continue was a difficult decision but necessary to identify and assist any more casualties.
The ongoing licensing review aims to prevent similar tragedies and ensure public safety at future events held at Dreamland.
Originally published by UKNIP.
