Revellers at Falls Festivals across Australia have been warned of potentially lethal orange pills in circulation, after a young man died at another music festival in New South Wales.
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People attending the Falls Festival in Lorne Victoria received a text message on Sunday afternoon warning them about the pills.
Advocates have long called for pill testing at Victorian music festivals, including Rainbow Serpent Festival held at Lexton in January.
Falls Festival management said its medical teams had alerted them to an orange pill that was "currently in circulation across Australia" and asked punters to dispose of any drugs they had.
"Regardless of pill variation, we want to remind everyone of the potentially fatal risks that come with illicit substances," the warning says.
"You do not know what is in them, how your body will react, there is no safe level of consumption. One pill can kill."
The popular annual music and camping festival runs across December 29, 30 and 31 at Lorne in Victoria, Marion Bay in Tasmania and Byron Bay in New South Wales.
One Falls attendee, who asked not to be named, said that she had seen orange pills inside the festival grounds at Lorne.
They were being passed around in a tightly packed crowd during a performance, she said.
She said she would never purchase drugs from inside the falls grounds due to the risks.
"It’s stupid to buy it here, you don’t know what’s in it."
Ambulance Victoria said paramedics had not treated anyone for drug-related illnesses at the Lorne event as of Sunday afternoon.
Falls management said no one had been treated in relation to the orange pills at the Byron Bay and Marion Bay events.
The warning comes just a day after the death of a Queensland man who took an "unknown substance" at a music festival on the NSW Central Coast.
The 22-year-old man was taken by ambulance from the Lost Paradise music festival in Glenworth Valley near Gosford on Saturday night, but died a short time later in hospital.
Two other people at the NSW festival became unwell after they also took the unknown drug.
Falls Festival is urging patrons to seek medical attention immediately if they have any concerns about their health, or if they become unwell.
"The event and medical teams are here to help you without judgement," they said.
Festival-goers are urged to call the following "Patron Safety Hotline" numbers if they are unwell, or see others in need of help.
Lorne: 1300 322 441
Marion Bay: 1300 899 440
Byron: 1300 940 928
- with The Age
