Drink spiking and date rape drugs

Music festival season is here so I thought you might find this information useful to stay safe.

What is it?

It’s where alcohol or drugs are added to your drink without you knowing. In some cases, so-called date rape drugs such as gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), tranquillisers including Valium (diazepam) and Rohypnol and ketamine may be used to spike a drink before a sexual assault. How do I know?

Most take effect within 15-30 minutes and last for several hours.

Your symptoms will depend on the substance used and can include difficulty concentrating or speaking, loss of balance and finding it hard to move, blurred vision, memory loss, feeling confused or disorientated, hallucinations, nausea and vomiting and unconsciousness. How to avoid drink spiking

If you start to feel strange or more drunk than you should, get help immediately.

The following steps may also help:

Never leave your drink unattended and keep an eye on your friends’ drinks.

Don’t accept a drink from someone you don’t know. Stick to bottled drinks. Don’t give out your address to someone you’ve just met.

Before going out, let someone know where you’re going and what time you expect to be home. Make plans to get home. Avoid taking out expensive equipment or anything that could be a target for thieves.

If your drink has been spiked:

Tell a friend or medical professional. If you’re alone, call someone and get to a safe place. If you need urgent help, call 999.

Don’t accept help from a stranger.

Report it to the police as soon as you can. Most drugs leave the body within 72 hours (GHB takes 12 hours), so it’s important to be tested as soon as possible.