Unfortunately, spiked drinks are are a common risk for bar-goers all over the country. Whether you’re male, female, or you prefer not to say— we all understand that we have to be weary when it comes to your Saturday night on the town. We have certain rules, especially as women, that we must follow to avoid danger— even in large groups. Spiked drinks can happen in any type of establishment, quickly, and often without notice until it’s too late. Nearly every person reading this has likely come in contact with someone affected by this issue. So, we’re going to try and help you avoid becoming part of that statistic…
Spiked Drinks: Avoidance and Examples
First of all, what is a spiked drink?
A spiked drink is essentially any beverage that has an unexpected substance in it. Most commonly, a spiked drink will have what is commonly known as ‘the date rape drug’ in it. The date rape drug is the street name for either GHB or Rohypnol. Both of these substances can be used to impair a person, take advantage of them, and make them forget what happened. We have all heard horror stories about people being taken advantage of through this drug.
Prevention
We all know that we might encounter a bit of risk on our nights out. However, that’s not to say you should quit going out with friends and having fun altogether. Instead, you just have to drink smart and stay alert. Go out with trusted friends and keep an eye out for each other. Friends don’t let friends take drinks from strangers without watching them be made and handed directly to that friend. Don’t look away from your drink, and keep the top as covered as possible. Realistically, things happen. Therefore, it’s important that you take steps to prevent spiked drinks on your night out.
Furthermore, don’t just be observant when it comes to your own drinks, and your friends drinks. Peek around the bar every now and then— you never know when you might just save someone’s night, or their life. Report all suspicious behavior to management, or the closest employee.
Symptoms
The largest issue in diagnosing spiked drinks, is that these drugs don’t add a taste or smell. Most often, the added substance will be odorless and tasteless. Therefore, you might not realize until it’s too late that something has gone wrong. Symptoms of spiked drinks to keep an eye out for are:
- feeling more drunk than appropriate for your alcohol intake
- slurring, swaying, confusion, or loss of consciousness
- seizures
- vomiting
- blackouts
- a severe hangover when you’ve had little to drink
Overall, someone who has fallen victim to a spiked drink might just seem severely drunk. However, when you’ve been with your friend all night, you know how drunk you are, and have a gauge on where they should be— then it’s easy to know when something is not right.
Have fun, let loose, but stay alert to your surroundings and the people you are with. Accidents happen, but they don’t have to happen to you, or the people you care about.