At least eight people suffered epileptic seizures at the same time during
the recent Amsterdam Dance Event, according to organisers who are investigating
if stroboscopic lights were partly responsible.
The incidents happened at
around 5.50am on October 19, towards the end of a set by DJ De Sluwe Vos.
People who attended the techno dance festival at Amsterdam’s Scheepsbouwloods
said they had been left shaken and traumatised by the incident.
One witness
told NOS how her friend had collapsed in front of her on the dance floor. ‘I
can still see her coming towards me, in shock. We laid her on the ground in a
foetal position. When I looked up, I saw eight groups of people standing round
someone who was lying on the ground.’
Her friend, aged 18, said she had
commented on the unusually bright lights at the event. ‘I said it earlier to a
friend. Then at one point I suddenly woke up on the ground.’
The woman said she
had taken two ecstasy pills during the evening, but had experience of using the
drug. ‘I have been to nine techno festivals and never had problems with the
lights. It’s not normal for so many people to collapse at the same time.’
Increased risk
Organisers admitted the episode was unusual but stressed that
none of those who collapsed needed hospital treatment. Festival director Gerke
de Groot told NOS enquiries were ongoing to see if a combination of tiredness,
drugs and the bright lights had made epileptic seizures more likely.
‘Brief
epileptic attacks have happened before at festivals and dance events. But to
have so many so close to each other has never happened to us before,’ he said.
Esther Croes, spokeswoman for the Trimbos Institute, which specialises in
mental health, substance use and addiction issues, confirmed that there was a
higher risk of epilepsy associated with dance festivals. ‘An epileptic attack
can be triggered by bright, rhythmic light. It’s not just people who are at
risk who can be affected, people who are tired or have used drugs also run more
risk.’
She added: ‘In cases like these it’s always difficult to establish the
cause of an epileptic attack. What you can say is that the faster and brighter
the lights, the greater the chance of a fit, especially in a darkened room.’
De
Groot said he wanted to hear from those affected so the festival could
investigate whether it needed to take preventive steps in future. Privacy
concerns mean that emergency services are unable to disclose many details about
the people they treated at the event, such as whether they all took the same
drug.
He added he discussed the incident the next day with the lighting
designer and technician. ‘In general we’re not a festival that uses a lot of
stroboscopes or lasers, but for this techno festival it was a bit more intense
than before.’
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