Quentin Matton, president of G-Addiction, publicly denounces a situation he does not hesitate to call a ticking time bomb!
The Scenario
The summer festivals have been an essential event for the youth of the French Riviera and passing tourists. Hundreds of thousands participated in these festive events this summer. Alcohol, drugs, medications misused, sexual assaults, repeated fights, and violence. What we have observed on the ground is catastrophic.
The Facts
For four months, we toured festivals, parties, beaches, bars, and night establishments and the findings are undeniable: the local authorities have not grasped the extent of the dangers to which the youth are exposed. We are astounded by the number of young festival-goers evacuated on stretchers, by the number of young women completely drunk and drugged, at the mercy of predators, as well as by the lack of vigilance of some organizers and establishment managers. The concerning and widespread consumption of psychoactive substances could not have escaped them. Let’s stop turning a blind eye! There’s a drive to serve more and more, including to customers who arrive at the bar already extremely intoxicated. Our team was offered hard drugs dozens of times, sometimes in plain sight. We have done our utmost with the resources provided by the Prefect of Alpes-Maritimes.
The Public Authorities
The State is fully aware of the problem but cannot alone tackle a concerning phenomenon that exceeds the worst-case scenarios and evaluations of needs. We regret that this concern is not equally shared by municipalities and organizers who should indeed take an interest.
The Analysis
Because we do not want to remain idle, we are writing today to the mayors and organizers of these summer events urging them to fully engage in prevention measures, which currently fall short of actual needs. It’s only a matter of time before a tragedy occurs inside or at the exit of one of these events. Failing to recognize the problem is abandoning the youth to a dire fate, at the mercy of dealers, aggressors, and alcohol vendors who want to sell more.
The Reaction
We do not want these festive events to close but the money they generate should not take precedence over the public health of an entire generation.
