St. Joseph’s Hospital treated a total of 27 people over the two days. They were all for drug or alcohol intoxication, however, none of them had to be admitted overnight. The 49 people transported to a hospital over both days is 8 less than last year. During last year’s festival, two people died from abusing ecstasy, alongside complications with the combination of heat, drugs, and alcohol which sent 57 others to the hospital. Tampa Mayor, Bob Buckhorn, spoke out against the city hosting the festival again this year. However, Tampa Sports Authority, which operates Raymond James Stadium, agreed to allow promoters to hold it in a parking area north of the stadium.
Promoters provided more shaded areas and free water this year, along with a heavier police and emergency medical presence. On Sunday night, Fire Rescue’s Penny said that “due to this mitigation, (the festival has) seen marked improvement over the last year.” The police officers certainly stayed occupied this weekend with thirty felony arrests (10 on Saturday and 20 on Sunday), 16 misdemeanor arrests (11 on Saturday and 5 on Sunday), 47 ejections (32 on Saturday and 15 on Sunday), and 5 marijuana civil citations (all on Saturday). Most of the felony arrests were for possession of molly (MDMA). The 46 total arrests are up from 33 last year. Festival promoters attributed that to a “zero-tolerance policy.”
Source: Tampa Bay Times