DOWNTOWN — Local hospitals have reported a huge drop in teenage emergency room visits associated with Lollapalooza, but the multi-day music festival is still considered the worst weekend of the year for underage drinking in Chicago.
Just 65 festival attendees between 13 and 18 years old were sent to an emergency room during last year's Lollapalooza, down from 121 teenage hospital visits in 2014, according to a study released Tuesday by Lurie Children's Hospital. The drop is even more significant because the fest was four days last year, compared to three in 2014.
When you add older underage attendees to the total, the number of emergency room visits for Lolla-goers between 13 and 20 still fell, to 128 last year, from 212 in 2014, the hospital said.
The numbers cover binge drinking only, said Julie Pesch, a hospital spokeswoman.
Lurie credits its own underage drinking awareness campaign as well as stricter Lolla policies for the drop, but maintains that binge drinking is still a serious issue for the big annual music festival in Grant Park.
The weekend is still the worst in the city for underage drinking, with a rate nine times higher than average, the hospital said.
“We recommend that parents talk about the risks of underage drinking with their kids, especially before concerts and events where alcohol will be present," Dr. Nina Alfieri, the lead researcher on the study, said in a statement. "They should have their teenager check in with them throughout the day and make sure their children have safe plans for traveling home."
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The hospital said half the teenagers sent to an emergency room during last year's Lolla were 16 to 18 years old and from outside Chicago. At 53 percent, teenage boys were more likely to go to the hospital than girls.
The hospital said Lolla added more security to the gates last year to check teenagers' bags for alcohol and other prohibited items. The festival also added a "Safety Team" of volunteer medical students in light blue shirts who blend into the crowd and can administer aid quickly.
A festival spokeswoman did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
This year's Lollapalooza kicks off Thursday morning. Headliners include Chance The Rapper, Lorde, Blink-182 and Migos.
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