Date Rape Drugs
What are they? How can I protect myself?
Over the decades, alcohol and substances such as chloral hydrate or “Mickey Finns” have been used to sedate individuals for sexual assault. In the past several years, there have been reports in which other substances have been identified, including gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB), ecstasy, flunitrazepam (Rohypnol®), triazolam (Halcion®), scopolamine, burundaga, and ketamine.
Reducing the Risks
- Do not leave beverages unattended at parties or bars.
- Do not take beverages, regardless if they do or do not contain alcohol from someone you do not know well and trust.
- At a bar or club, accept drinks only from the bartender or server.
- At parties, do not accept open-container drinks from anyone.
- Be alert to the behavior of friends and ask them to watch out for you.
- Anyone extremely intoxicated after consuming only a small amount of alcohol may be in danger.
What to do if you think you have been drugged and sexually assaulted
- If you or a friend feel dizzy, confused or have other unexplained symptoms after drinking a beverage, get to a safe place immediately by calling a family member, friend, the police, or 911.
- If you think you have been drugged go directly to a hospital emergency room.
- If you think you have been drugged and sexually assaulted, go directly to a hospital emergency room and report that you may have been assaulted. Some hospitals have sexual assault care & treatment centres. If yours does not, call a rape crisis hotline for information and support.
- Decide whether or not you want to report the incident to the police. If there is any chance you do want to report the incident, you should not shower, bathe, douche, change clothes or straighten up the area until medical and legal evidence has been collected, as these actions will destroy evidence. But please remember, even if you have done some or all of these things, it is still important to get some help.
- If you want to report the incident, you can call the police before going to the hospital or the police can be contacted from the hospital.
- Try to keep a sample of the beverage for analysis.
Courtesy of St. Joseph’s Health Care, London
