There are so many stories out there about the ways in which people get spiked. It’s scary to think that we can’t go out into public and enjoy a night out with friends, without the fear and worry of whether or not your drink has been tampered with.
I myself have been unlucky enough to experience it. My incident however was an amateur attempt. I was at a club in Rivonia years ago and decided to pour a glass of water for myself from the jug on the bar counter- not one of the brightest ideas I have ever had. Lucky for me, I was with close friends who took control of the situation once they had realized what had happened to me. There are many cases that we’ve heard of where girls blackout and can’t remember a thing the next day, after drinking only a couple drinks.
I heard a terrifying story this weekend. I was in such absolute shock after hearing it that it actually got me thinking about wanting to even socialize in public at all anymore. A friend of mine went to a popular bar in Midrand a couple weeks ago with a friend of hers. She ordered a glass of wine and her friend ordered a coffee. They ordered the drinks at the bar and then went to sit down. As they sat at the table they noticed 2 Nigerian men looking at them from a table across the room. One of them got up and walked over to the bar where he spoke to the barman and proceeded back to his seat. My friend thought nothing of the man’s movements and carried on with her conversations. When their drinks arrived they started sipping on them when one of the Nigerian men came over to their table and offered the two ladies a drink. They turned down the offer and the man walked back to his table. A couple sips of wine later, my friend started feeling very nauseous. She got up to go to the bathroom and as she stood up, she fainted.
This very public example of spiking a woman’s drinks is an ever increasing trend. These men target a woman who walks into a bar or club and once their drinks have been ordered they consult with the barman. Being in cahoots with the staff makes their lives easier and it obviously takes attention off them as being the “spiker.”
How to test for date rape drugs
An Australian company has developed a device that is able to tell whether or not a drink has been spiked. The Drink Spike Detector (DSD) is a credit card sized instrument that requires a couple drops of the drink on it to pick up traces of the two most popular date rape drugs. Gamma- Hydroxide- Butyric Acid or GBH, also commonly known as Fantasy, Liquid Ecstasy and Grievous Bodily Harm, and Ketamine also known as Special K, Kitty Kat or K, are the most common date rape drugs used. This test takes seconds to show results. In the past, these colorless, odorless and tasteless date rape drugs were virtually impossible to detect. The DSD however changes colour, thanks to technology, when these drugs are present in the drink. This life saving device has recently become available in South Africa.
Tips to protect your drink, your friends and yourself
It’s recommended that women (or anyone at all) do not leave drinks unattended. They should also take a friend to the bathroom, party in a group and always stick together when in public. Keeping a watch out for one another as well as those around you will help to protect all of you. Ordering a drink in a closed bottle is vital. Cans are thin and a syringe can easily poke through it. Accepting free drinks is a definite NO! It’s also a good idea to keep a thumb over a bottle opening when dancing.
There is no guarantee that these tips will prevent a date rape drug from entering your system but being alert and keeping tabs on your surroundings will definitely reduce the risks.
I myself have been unlucky enough to experience it. My incident however was an amateur attempt. I was at a club in Rivonia years ago and decided to pour a glass of water for myself from the jug on the bar counter- not one of the brightest ideas I have ever had. Lucky for me, I was with close friends who took control of the situation once they had realized what had happened to me. There are many cases that we’ve heard of where girls blackout and can’t remember a thing the next day, after drinking only a couple drinks.
I heard a terrifying story this weekend. I was in such absolute shock after hearing it that it actually got me thinking about wanting to even socialize in public at all anymore. A friend of mine went to a popular bar in Midrand a couple weeks ago with a friend of hers. She ordered a glass of wine and her friend ordered a coffee. They ordered the drinks at the bar and then went to sit down. As they sat at the table they noticed 2 Nigerian men looking at them from a table across the room. One of them got up and walked over to the bar where he spoke to the barman and proceeded back to his seat. My friend thought nothing of the man’s movements and carried on with her conversations. When their drinks arrived they started sipping on them when one of the Nigerian men came over to their table and offered the two ladies a drink. They turned down the offer and the man walked back to his table. A couple sips of wine later, my friend started feeling very nauseous. She got up to go to the bathroom and as she stood up, she fainted.
This very public example of spiking a woman’s drinks is an ever increasing trend. These men target a woman who walks into a bar or club and once their drinks have been ordered they consult with the barman. Being in cahoots with the staff makes their lives easier and it obviously takes attention off them as being the “spiker.”
How to test for date rape drugs
An Australian company has developed a device that is able to tell whether or not a drink has been spiked. The Drink Spike Detector (DSD) is a credit card sized instrument that requires a couple drops of the drink on it to pick up traces of the two most popular date rape drugs. Gamma- Hydroxide- Butyric Acid or GBH, also commonly known as Fantasy, Liquid Ecstasy and Grievous Bodily Harm, and Ketamine also known as Special K, Kitty Kat or K, are the most common date rape drugs used. This test takes seconds to show results. In the past, these colorless, odorless and tasteless date rape drugs were virtually impossible to detect. The DSD however changes colour, thanks to technology, when these drugs are present in the drink. This life saving device has recently become available in South Africa.
Tips to protect your drink, your friends and yourself
It’s recommended that women (or anyone at all) do not leave drinks unattended. They should also take a friend to the bathroom, party in a group and always stick together when in public. Keeping a watch out for one another as well as those around you will help to protect all of you. Ordering a drink in a closed bottle is vital. Cans are thin and a syringe can easily poke through it. Accepting free drinks is a definite NO! It’s also a good idea to keep a thumb over a bottle opening when dancing.
There is no guarantee that these tips will prevent a date rape drug from entering your system but being alert and keeping tabs on your surroundings will definitely reduce the risks.
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