Coachella billboard sparks controversy among families affected by Fentanyl Crisis
CABAZON, Calif. (KESQ) - A billboard visible east facing on the I-10 freeway near Railroad Avenue is drawing intense backlash from grieving parents and anti-drug advocates who say it sends a dangerous message — especially during one of the biggest music festivals in the world.
Disco Lines billboard, which says “Accidentally smoked that s***, now I’m playing at Coachella,” is positioned along the route tens of thousands of attendees travel.
Disco Lines is the professional name of Thadeus Labuszewski, an American DJ.
Amber Royer lost her son to fentanyl poisoning and she is sounding the alarm.
She now leads Out of the Ashes, a local nonprofit focused on fentanyl awareness, overdose prevention, harm reduction and youth intervention.
She said the billboard glorifies drug use at a time when the fentanyl epidemic is claiming lives at an alarming rate.
"It makes it sound like drugs lead to success, fun and fame," Royer said. "And that's dangerous."
She said for families who’ve lost loved ones to fentanyl poisoning or overdose, the message isn’t edgy or provocative—it’s painful.
"I'm not trying to censor their billboard. But I want responsibility," Royer said. "It's platforms like Coachella and artists like Disco Lines that are using mass advertising, and they have a duty to consider the population and the message that they're sending, especially during this crisis."
She said to use the platform for awareness, not shock value.
"Help us educate people about the very real dangers of today's drug supply," Royer said. "You can still be cool and you can still be clever without making light of an overdose culture."
The billboard is owned by Lamar Advertising in Palm Springs, which declined to comment when asked about the concerns.
While protected by free speech laws, Royer said the ad has renewed debate about the social responsibility of public advertising—especially in areas where communities are actively working to save lives.
News Channel 3 reached out to Disco Lines management team for comment, but are still awaiting a response.
