October is Sexual Violence Awareness Month in Queensland, Australia. Given that I am a sexual assault therapist and have seen many women who claim to have been drink spiked and raped as a result, I thought it fitting to provide an awareness article on the heinous practice of drink spiking. Drink spiking can, and does, happen to anyone – even those people who don’t drink alcohol when they’re out. As a parent, I worry about my children being drink spiked and I offer this two part article for your information and precaution.
When a drink is spiked it means that alcohol or drugs (illicit or prescription) have been added to the drink without the persons knowledge or approval. The substance can be added to ANY drink including soft drinks, juice, water or alcohol. The practice is illegal and potentially deadly to the person whose drink is spiked. There are over forty drugs that can be used for drink spiking and some of them can be fatal – all of them cause psychological and emotional trauma to the victim.
Drink Spiking has been on the increase over the last few years. Drink spiking exists so that the perpetrator can do harm: sexual assault, mug, bash or harm in other ways. Sometimes the only motivation is to see what effect the drug will have on the target person. Some people have spiked their friend’s drinks to liven up a party. It’s an offence to endanger someone’s life, and if the person has a serious reaction to the drug and dies, the perpetrating friend could face a murder charge.
What is used to spike drinks? Alcohol is the most common. It is used either by adding it to a non-alcoholic drink or by adding extra amounts to an alcoholic drink – double nips for example.
Prescription drugs are also frequently used including benzodiazepines, barbiturates, muscle relaxants and hypnotics-such as Serapax, Valium and Rohypnol. Rohypnol has a reputation as being one of the most common prescription drugs used in drink spiking cases and is commonly referred to as the date rape drug.
Illicit drugs such as Ecstacy, LSD, Fantasy – also known as Liquid Ecstacy or GHB – Ketamine and other party drugs are known to be used. The innocent victim may appear high or revved up when they have been affected by a party drug. GHB is particularly dangerous because it can cause serious breathing problems. People cannot sleep it off. They need to get medical assistance immediately.
What happens when you unknowingly drink a spiked drink? Depending on the type of drug used to render you helpless, there can be a range of effects: vomiting, loss of consciousness, poor coordination and balance, slurred speech, muscle spasms, respiratory difficulties and in cases where a drug like GHB is mixed with alcohol, the victim may die. During the drug-affected state, the victim’s behaviour is altered and they may experience lowered inhibitions, losing control or acting more sexual and flirtatious. This is a set up so that the perpetrator makes it look like the affected person wants to have sex with them. Most of the drugs used in drink spiking have an amnesic effect, meaning that memory once the drug has worn off is unreliable and sketchy. This is why rapists love to drink spike.
What should I do if I think I have consumed a spiked drink? Although it is very difficult to tell if your drink is spiked, some women have said that there was a medicine flavor in their mouth after having a sip of the drink. Other people have said that they are able to tell that their quickly altered behavior is not consistent with the amount of alcohol they may have willingly drunk. If you think you have consumed a drink that has been spiked, immediately alert someone you trust. If you are out alone or can’t reach your friends, alert a staff member at the club or pub you are at.
You should also get medical attention straight away and insist on providing urine and blood samples. If you have been spiked, the drugs don’t stay in your system for long, so give samples immediately. This is the only way to be sure that you have been spiked. Police and sexual health clinics have access to facilities that can provide the level of testing required, and your samples can be preserved as evidence if you chose to have police investigate the matter.
This article will be continued with protection ideas from the Australian Federal Police and Australian Government. Many thanks to them for the information contained in both articles.