Drink Spiking and Date Rape Drugs

Drink Spiking – Mind Altering Substances 

This health topic is to bring about awareness among our present generation who could be at risk of grave consequences and being forewarned is forearmed when faced with such situations. A glance at the news daily gives us variety of such incidents of rapes; murder etc. and our youngsters should be informed and trained to handle such situations while they party along with their friends and acquaintance.

Many tend to be victims of drink spiking where drugs or alcohol seem to be added to their drinks without their knowledge and in some cases, the date rape drugs could be used to spike a person’s drink in order to attempt a sexual assault. Drink spiking is when the mind altering substances like drugs or alcohol is added to the drink without letting them know about it and is often done to take advantage of the victim.

Mind altering could mean that the victim would be unaware of his/her act or how they tend to behave with the other people while they are under the influence of the drugs. Enjoying a party at night and celebrating a special occasion with friends could be a great idea but like everything with its advantage as well as disadvantages, caution needs to be practised in everything that is said and done.

Common Substance – Alcohol 

Alcohol is the most common substance that is used to spike a drink which can be added to a soft or a non-alcoholic drink. As the party goes on and drinks are consumed, people get involved in the enjoyment without being watchful over their drinks which at times can put the victim at a risk for date rape making the person an easy target for perpetrators.

 A date rape drug also known as predator drug is intentionally used as incapacitating agent in assistance of the execution of drug facilitate sexual assault – DFSA. Though drink spiking is often done with the intention of malicious acts which could include violence, drug assisted sexual assaults and thefts; it could also be used for misguided jokes or pranks.

Date rape drugs could be particularly dangerous when they are combined with alcohol since the mixture tends to have a powerful anaesthetic effect on the victim and in some extreme cases, it could also lead to a coma or even death. These are available in liquid, powder or tablet form and do not have any unusual taste or smell.

Seek Help at the Earliest from Trusted Source

If the person thinks that their drink has been spiked they should immediately get in touch with someone whom they can trust and seek help from a close reliable friend, a relative, a medical professional or the police.

The effect of the date rape drug is seen within 15-30 minutes and the symptoms tend to last for several hours thereafter. If the person tends to pass out, it could be difficult to know the full effect of the drug. The person may also feel some of the symptoms of the effect of the drug even after a night’s sleep though it would depend on which drug had been used on the victim.

They may experience some of the symptoms like difficulty in concentrating or speaking, loss of balance and difficulty in movement, lowered inhibitions, visual problems with blurred vision, memory loss or blackout, paranoia, a feeling of distrust or fear of others, feeling confused or disorientated especially on waking, nausea and vomiting or unconsciousness. Drink spiking is a very grave offence and can be punishable with imprisonment. Remember to drink sensibly and remain safe.