Police are investigating after reports of drinks being spiked last weekend in Nanaimo. (Dreamstime)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

extremely intoxicated

Spiked drinks reported at Nanaimo nightclubs

May 12, 2022 | 8:46 AM

NANAIMO — Local Mounties are investigating multiple incidents last weekend involving drinks being spiked with drugs.

The Nanaimo RCMP’s bar watch team were patrolling through the downtown on Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7 and came across paramedics tending to two people who were extremely intoxicated.

Cst. Simon Gallimore told NanaimoNewsNOW the two individuals had to be taken to hospital for extreme intoxication, but neither police nor paramedics could find an obvious reason for the level of inebriation.

“It did not appear, at least at first glance, they had been over-served or anything of that nature and as the weekend went on we received some more reports…of a number of people who had appeared to become quite intoxicated…and there was no obvious reason like they’d had too much to drink.”

Officers are operating under the assumption something was added to the drinks to cause excessive intoxication.

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Police did not release the names of the establishments involved, only saying incidents occurred at multiple clubs in Nanaimo.

Gallimore said an investigation into the apparent spiking of drinks continues.

“We’ve been speaking with a number of the bars and clubs in the area, everyone’s quite cooperative and concerned with what’s going on and so we are in the process of viewing video surveillance, talking to people working that night, people in the establishments.”

He added determining exactly what substance was used will take some time, with different substances acting in different ways, including how long they stay in a person’s body.

Investigators are also looking into a potential connection between the reports.

“The general geographic area in which these incidents occurred and the time frame all being quite close together, that does suggest there may be a link between the events,” Gallimore said.

Police recommend never leaving a drink unattended and never accept drinks from anyone you don’t know.

If symptoms such as lightheadedness, nausea or difficulty breathing come about, stay with a group of people and get medical attention as soon as possible.

Anyone with information on the incidents over the weekend are asked to contact Nanaimo RCMP at 250- 754-2345, quoting file number 2022-15239.

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