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Nanaimo RCMP warning everyone to keep a close eye on their drinks

Apr 12, 2019 | 11:23 AM

NANAIMO — Police are warning partygoers to never leave their drinks unattended and not wait to report something suspicious at a club or event.

RCMP Cst. Gary O’Brien said two women reportedly had their drinks spiked at a downtown Nanaimo nightclub on Friday, April 5.

He said it’s a difficult incident to track due to how quickly date rape drugs activate and how easy they can be to slip into a drink.

“When the drug is in the system, it basically wipes out the memory and the victim has very little to report. They often feel very embarrassed, so we often hear this second-hand through agencies we deal with.”

O’Brien said while date rape drugs like Rohypnol, GHB and ketamine are often tied to nightclubs, drink tampering can happen anywhere.

“It can happen at bush parties, dormitories, anywhere where people have access to these drugs and they can very discretely drop it into a drink. Within 10 to 15 minutes, you can be immobilized.”

There are several easy ways to make sure your drink isn’t altered:

  • Don’t accept drinks from strangers
  • If someone does offer you a drink, go to the bar and watch it being poured
  • Never leave your drink unattended
  • Try to hold your hand or anything over top of your drink
  • Stop drinking immediately if the taste or colour of your drink changes at all

Earlier in the decade, Nanaimo RCMP rolled out a sizable awareness campaign about date rape drugs after numerous reports of drink tampering. Police partnered with Vancouver Island Univeristy, local community groups and Nanaimo nightclubs to inform people about the possible dangers of leaving a drink unattended.

“From that, we can conclusively say we didn’t receive any other reports for months afterwards,” O’Brien said.

 

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