‘Unchecked' drug trade at festival could lead to more deaths, coroner warns
Benjamin Buckfield became the fifth person to die at Boomtown festival since it started when he took four ecstasy pills at the event outside Winchester last year.
He collapsed at the festival and was taken to hospital, where he died on Aug 11 'due to the toxic effects of the drugs', an inquest found.
Nicholas Walker, area coroner for Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton, called on Boomtown, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary to take action to prevent more deaths.
He noted in his report that Mr Buckfield's friends described that drug dealers would walk through crowds 'every 20 minutes' and they would shout 'the names of the drugs' they were selling.
Mr Walker said: 'I heard evidence that illegal drugs were freely available to purchase at the festival.
'I am concerned that an unchecked, open, and free trade in unlawful drugs will create a risk of future deaths.'
The coroner was also concerned that Boomtown's policy of confiscating drugs before people enter the festival simply made them want to replace their stash once they got in.
He continued: 'I heard evidence that those found bringing unlawful drugs in to Boomtown are not ejected from the site unless they are considered to be carrying quantities that are consistent with being a drug dealer, or they have associated dealer paraphernalia.
'Those who are found in possession of unlawful drugs who are not considered to be dealers have their drugs confiscated and are allowed entry on to site.
'I am concerned that as a consequence there is no disincentive for festival-goers who attempt to take drugs into Boomtown, and that the policy gives rise to a situation where those who have had drugs taken from them will want to replace them.'
At the inquest, Mr Buckfield's parents, Georgina and David Buckfield, said the Hampshire festival is a 'dangerous, enabling environment' for young people and 'it's only a matter of time before there's another death'.
Mr Walker said in his report that he has 'taken into account' the changes made by the festival and the police force for Boomtown 2025, which is due to kick off on Wednesday.
Boomtown, held at Matterley Estate near Winchester, is a festival that is known for incorporating rave culture into its production.
The coroner's court previously heard that Mr Buckfield arrived at the festival on Aug 8 with a group of friends from school and university.
He was seen taking cocaine, ketamine and drinking alcohol, but his friends said this was not 'out of the ordinary' at a social event.
They said you could hear people shouting 'ket (ketamine), coke, pills' every 20 minutes or so in the tent area of the festival.
Mr Buckfield had brought some drugs into the festival with him and is believed to have bought some more from vendors in the two days prior to his death.
On the Saturday evening he arrived in a crowd with his friends and was 'profusely sweating'.
He tried to get out of the crowd and then started suffering from seizures, being put into the recovery position by medics.
He was later taken to the festival's medical tent, before being taken off to hospital, where he passed away at 3:45am the next day after repeated attempts to save him.
His cause of death was later confirmed as methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) toxicity.
The festival and police, who must respond to the report by Sept 26, have been approached for comment.
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