HANOI, Vietnam — Seven Vietnamese have died and five are in a coma after taking drugs at an electronic dance music festival in Hanoi, officials said Monday, as authorities scrambled to trace the substance. Synthetic drug use is on the rise but remains largely underground among a relatively niche group of hard-partying youth. It was the third Vietnam Electronic Weekend festival held in the country and was slated to be the biggest yet, according to state media. Use of synthetic drugs rose seven percent between 2001 and 2016. “Drug users always tended to want to use something new, hoping for a new taste.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 17, 2018 12:02 UTC