Drink spiking
With summer fast approaching and licensed premises now open, people are heading to the pubs and clubs to celebrate and get back to a sense of normality.
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More than ever, it is important to be aware of safety especially with all the youth that have turned 18 over the lock down period and are new to going out and consuming alcohol in licensed premises.
The Hume Police District wants people to be safe whilst at licensed premises and to be aware of the possibility of drink spiking occurring.
Drink spiking is when someone adds alcohol or drugs to another person's drink without their knowledge.
Drinks may be spiked to get someone drunk or high, as a prank or for harmful purposes including sexual assault, robbery, and unprotected sex.
Drink spiking is against the law in New South Wales under the Crimes Act 1900 and carries a maximum penalty of 2 years imprisonment.
If the drink spiking is used to commit an indictable offence such as sexual assault the maximum penalty increases to up to 25 years imprisonment.
When talking about drink spiking most people think of the drugs such as GHB and Rohypnol due to commonly being labeled as 'date rape drugs' however adding any intoxicating substance such as extra alcohol to someone's drink without their knowledge is drink spiking and occurs far more often.
Chances are you haven't heard about drink spiking occurring in your local area however that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
So why is it that we don't hear more about it?
Incidents of drink spiking are under-reported because it is often the case that victims think that people won't believe them, especially if they have been drinking or taking recreational drugs.
It is also not always easy to tell if a drink has been spiked as the victim may not be able to see, smell or taste it.
The drug or extra alcohol may be colourless and odourless and may not affect the taste of the drink.
To stop the chances of your drink being spiked
- Watch your drink and maintain control of it
- Avoid sharing drinks
- If someone you don't know offers you a drink, go to the bar with them
- Don't leave your drinks unattended whilst in the bathroom or on the dance floor
- Buy or pour your own drinks
- Go out with friends and keep an eye on each other's drinks
Be mindful of this when drinking, stay safe and look after your mates.
