It's one of those things that most of us consider will 'never happen to us', yet in the UK alone 12,000 cases are reported each year, not to mention the other thousands of cases where the victim is too scared to contact the authorities. In fact, many of us know at least one person that has had their drink spiked, yet we still don't think of it as a real threat.

Date rape drugs are generally put into the victim's alcoholic drink when they're not looking. They're often colorless, odorless and tasteless so the victim has no chance of identifying that there's anything untoward going on. The drugs are also not always manufactured illegally. One of the most popular of its kind, Rohypnol, was originally designed by medical experts as a sleeping aid, yet it is now being abused. Some people use it on themselves to raise their level of drunkenness or soften the blow of coming down off a cocaine binge, whereas others use it on both men and woman in order to take advantage of them sexually. Luckily, since it was first brought out, Rohypnol is now legally required to contain a blue dye so that drinks that have been spiked can be detected, although illegal counterfeit versions are in circulation.

So what can you expect if you've had your drink spiked? Most date rape drugs cause the victim to lose their inhibitions within around fifteen to twenty minutes, and they will start to experience memory loss after just ten. One reason why amnesia is such a desires effect for those who use date rape drugs is that women won't remember who has abused them. One particularly cruel and elaborate hoax emerged claiming that date rape offenders had also developed a drug that made the victim infertile, so that a DNA test could not be carried out on a baby, if she were to fall pregnant. While it's a good thing that this isn't true, there are still plenty of sexually transmitted diseases that do the same thing and can easily be passed on through date rape.

Unfortunately the side effects of date rape drugs such as Rohypnol very closely mimic the symptoms of being very drunk. Friends of victims often only have an idea that their friend has been spiked from knowing they've only had one or two drinks so far. If you think that you or a friend have been spiked then it's important to either tell the people you are with or go straight to an authority figure (bartender, security guard, phone an ambulance) and stay where you are. Drink water and refuse to leave with anyone who suggests it before you've seen a paramedic.

Of course, there are many measures you can take to make sure you don't have your drink spiked. Choose drinks that are served in bottle rather than in open topped glasses. This way you can easily walk with your thumb over the top. It's also possible to buy plastic attachments to go in the neck of your bottle that stop any pills being added. Never, ever leave your drink unattended or in the care of someone else and don't accept drinks from strangers. If someone offers to buy you a drink, come with them to the bar and watch closely that they don't spike it.

Stan Tian

Copyrighted material; do not reprint without permission.

 

View all articles by Stan Tian