Spiked drinks advice...
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BertBert

Original Poster:

21,330 posts

242 months

Wednesday 21st November 2007
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A friend's 19 yr old daughter had her drink spiked at Uni on friday. It turned out ok as there was continuity of friends around to look after her and get her to hospital etc. The hospital looked after her and sent her home once the worst had gone. They diagnosed the symptoms, but didn't do any tests.

Said student has little memory of the event and is unlikely just to have got wasted.

So two questions. Is this a job for BiB? Currently only been reported to Uni security. Secondly, anyone know what gets used for this? Is it the date rape drug? Does it have any long lasting effects?

My friend is very conerned. Knowledgable advice gratefully received.

Bert

TPS

1,860 posts

244 months

Wednesday 21st November 2007
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Hope this helps.

http://www.4women.gov/faq/rohypnol.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/medical_notes/27...

Although it was good that her mates were there its a worry that her drink was spiked in the first place.Hopefully a lesson learned and all concerned will be more carefull with their drinks.

Dibble

13,292 posts

271 months

Wednesday 21st November 2007
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Was her drink actually spiked, or did she just drink too much?

Recent research showed that "spiking" was much less prevalent than suspected; it was more a case that drinks were more palatable (ie alcopops), and people were drinking more than they could handle.

shadowninja

80,161 posts

313 months

Thursday 22nd November 2007
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Spiking can be a real risk now that people have to go outside to smoke, and leave their drinks on the table, I hear. I am yet to work out why you'd want to spike someone's drinks if they are in a group of friends.

H_Kan

4,942 posts

230 months

Thursday 22nd November 2007
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Not much point in reporting to bib tbh, there is no way they'll catch the guy. Also if I remember the talk we were given as freshers correctly, I don't think there are any lasting effects.

Keep your drink with you or with a very trusted mate.

Holst

2,468 posts

252 months

Thursday 22nd November 2007
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H_Kan said:
Not much point in reporting to bib tbh, there is no way they'll catch the guy. Also if I remember the talk we were given as freshers correctly, I don't think there are any lasting effects.

Keep your drink with you or with a very trusted mate.
Or down your drink in one rather than leave it alone smile

She will just have to be more carefull and im sure she will be after this scare.


silversun

4,373 posts

257 months

Thursday 22nd November 2007
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Spiking drinks doesn't necessarily mean it's been done with a drug. My sister had her drink spiked by a girl she knew who simply poured a couple of double shots of vodka into her drink.

Hey presto, there's no evidence of drugs present and it's easy to accuse the victim of simply drinking too much because of course, no-one ever believes you when you say you really didn't drink that much.

tigger1

8,478 posts

252 months

Thursday 22nd November 2007
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With some drugs that have been used for spiking drinks, there can be longer term tests effects. I'm surprised that the hospital didn't try to find out what (if anything) was in her system at the time. Rohypnol (the "date rape" drug, which has very legitimate uses) is the one everyone has heard of, but there are many others - including some that are meant for vetinary use. Things like Ketamine and GHB spring to mind.

The majority of "date-rape" cases actually only involve one drug though, alcohol. This would already be present in the system, and causes blackouts, loss of memory, loss of inhibitions etc etc...

Edited by tigger1 on Thursday 22 November 11:54

Carnage

889 posts

263 months

Thursday 22nd November 2007
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I deal with this sort of thing on about a monthly basis as a CID officer.

A urine test will reveal traces of either a drug used itself or its metabolites for a short time afterwards - I won't say how long but if it was last Friday it is unlikely anything will be found.

With the greatest of respect to the OP - it does happen - I have never dealt with a case where drinks have genuinely been spiked with drugs. Its always been a case of alcohol intoxication.

It might be worth her reporting it to the police, but perhaps as a "crime-related incident - ie not enough evidence to suggest an offence has taken place. This will at least flag it up on the radar, allow them to seize and examine CCTV, and research any previously reported incidents at the location it took place. Bear in mind this will generate quite a lot of work for a probably already very busy DC - so it all comes down to how sure she is she simply didn't drink more than she usually would, or that one of her friends didn't buy her doubles rather than singles that night.

Appreciate the above might seem a bit negative; its just my experience. Not intending to question the lady in question's integrity at all.

mark69sheer

3,906 posts

233 months

Thursday 22nd November 2007
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If you believe you know who spiked the drink then yes it should be passed to the police.

I had a spiked drink last year.

I had gone with my wife to a swish private club in London.
I thought it odd that the whole place had cctv everywhere with several screens behind the bar.
This swish club on James Street had actually become the watering hole of choice for Londons most nefarious crime figures. It was also a gambling club.
A man offered my wife a drink. She declined because she didn't want the drink not because she suspected it was spiked , the man then offered the drink to me which my wife encouraged me to drink out of good manners I resisted and finally drank it. It was a shot of liquer with a strong taste but I noticed nothing untoward.
However as we left the club we were herded by the clubs doormen into an awaiting mercedes who offered to drive us back to our hotel whilst everyone else was in a taxi queue. I didn't know why we were afforded this special treatment until about half an hour later.
I cannot remember a single thing after returning to the hotel.
I woke the next morning to find my wife was rather complimentary about our bedroom antics.
I was completely bemused. I didn't even recall getting to bed let alone a night of lust. Apparently my best ever and I couln't remember a damm thing about it.
Then I realised why we had been chaperoned home. Security must have suspected I had been spiked and took us home for safety.We were both wearing very nice watches.
Its bad PR for private club guests to be mugged by drink spiking russian mafia I guess.
I wasn't drunk because I rarely drink to excess but I couldn't and cannot remember anything after getting in the car.
apparently there is a drug that creates a memory loss or block.

BertBert

Original Poster:

21,330 posts

242 months

Thursday 22nd November 2007
quotequote all
Thanks all for the info and thoughts. I was and still am sceptical about what actually happened and whether any "proper" spiking went on. I am surprised that the hospital didn't try to find out what was going on. But I suspect that they (like the tosspot GP who was also consulted after) are pretty used to ott student drinking being blamed on "spiking". I know that I always rationalise my hangovers as something I ate disagreed with me!

However, there is a continuity of reliable and sober witnesses to how much drink was consumed, so my friend is pretty sure it was not just a bout of ott drinking by his daughter. Given that, the violence and suddenness of the vomitting, the complete lack of memory and the associated irrational behaviour, makes him think that something ocurred.

Bert

Fittster

20,120 posts

244 months

Thursday 22nd November 2007
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Has there even been a court case were it was proved that someones drinks were spiked? I currently feel there are more urban myth than facts on this subject.

Deva Link

26,934 posts

276 months

Thursday 22nd November 2007
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Fittster said:
Has there even been a court case were it was proved that someones drinks were spiked? I currently feel there are more urban myth than facts on this subject.
http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/2486 

Edited by Deva Link on Thursday 22 November 13:53

H_Kan

4,942 posts

230 months

Thursday 22nd November 2007
quotequote all
silversun said:
Spiking drinks doesn't necessarily mean it's been done with a drug. My sister had her drink spiked by a girl she knew who simply poured a couple of double shots of vodka into her drink.

Hey presto, there's no evidence of drugs present and it's easy to accuse the victim of simply drinking too much because of course, no-one ever believes you when you say you really didn't drink that much.
Wow! I get my drink spiked all the time then! My mates seem to like getting doubles in on the sly, they don't seem to realise that we can all taste the difference, thankfully I don't think there are any worse intentions then having a bit of a laugh.

silversun

4,373 posts

257 months

Thursday 22nd November 2007
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A strange way of 'having a laugh' but there you go.

The girl who spiked my sister's drink was after her boyfriend and was trying to get my sister out of the way so she had a clear shot at him. She later admitted it and had also done it to another girl whose bloke she fancied.

jshell

12,107 posts

236 months

Thursday 22nd November 2007
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My wife and her friend had their drinks spiked last year in Edinburgh. I got a call shortly after they'd gone out to come and help. 2 guys had bought my wife and her friend a glass of wine each, my wife in an unusal display of common sense pushed it to the side but her friend zipped it back. When the friend tried to stand up her legs had turned to rubber, she was incoherent and unaware of her surroundings. My wife was as lucid as expected for 2 drinks and was able to provide a good description of the guys. I had to carry the friend to the car. We ended up in the police station right across the street from the bar (thats how blase these guys were) and after 2 hours of trying to persuade the friend to give a urine sample we had to give up. Without that sample there was no evidence and the police were unable to proceed. The 2 guys had sent over the wine and just stood watching from the bar, they took off when they realised that only one of the girls had taken the drink.

The policeman whom we dealt with almost appeared to be on a crusade that night to get something moving, but he was defeated by being unable to get the crucial sample. The frustration felt by me, and no doubt the incredibly helpful copper was tangible. He was superb and reinforced the confidence I have in Lothian & Borders Constabulary - oppposite end of the scale to the Aberdeen oxygen-thieves.

Anyway, the next morning we went round to see the friend who had no recollection of what happened and resolutely refused to believe the events of the night before.

It wasn't just too much drink, I was there and I've never seen someone so completely 'rubbered' on 2 glasses of wine.

I regularly 'pop' into that bar now for a wee look around carrying some 'roofies', 2 frozen pineapples and a mallet...drip-drip/sip/crumple/drag/spread/insert/hammer to depth until only the foliage is visible.......you get the picture.

Medic-one

3,143 posts

234 months

Sunday 25th November 2007
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Dibble said:
Was her drink actually spiked, or did she just drink too much?
That is a very good question indeed...

We are called to the local nightclubs several time a night every friday & saterday for either a fight or a "unconscious".

And about 90% of those "unconscious" calls tend to be very drunk teens who can't stand on their own 2 legs anymore and just lay in the streets.

And funnily about every 8 out of 10 drunks tell us their drink has been spiked, or their friends tell us their drink must have been spiked "because he normally drinks this amount and never has a problem with it".

So to us "my drink has been spiked" equals "i drank way to much, more then my body can handle but instead of admitting it, i make up an excuse so i still look cool in front of my friends".

Because either all the tests in A&E proof their drink wasn't actually spiked, or when they still are in A&E a couple hours later and we speak to them again to admit their drink wasn't spiked and they just made that up.

So far, since thursday night i already dealt with 6 people who "had their drink spiked" and the night isn't over yet...


mark69sheer

3,906 posts

233 months

Sunday 25th November 2007
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Medic-one said:
Dibble said:
Was her drink actually spiked, or did she just drink too much?
That is a very good question indeed...

We are called to the local nightclubs several time a night every friday & saterday for either a fight or a "unconscious".

And about 90% of those "unconscious" calls tend to be very drunk teens who can't stand on their own 2 legs anymore and just lay in the streets.

And funnily about every 8 out of 10 drunks tell us their drink has been spiked, or their friends tell us their drink must have been spiked "because he normally drinks this amount and never has a problem with it".

So to us "my drink has been spiked" equals "i drank way to much, more then my body can handle but instead of admitting it, i make up an excuse so i still look cool in front of my friends".

Because either all the tests in A&E proof their drink wasn't actually spiked, or when they still are in A&E a couple hours later and we speak to them again to admit their drink wasn't spiked and they just made that up.

So far, since thursday night i already dealt with 6 people who "had their drink spiked" and the night isn't over yet...
I guess it depends who makes the claim.
Most young girls these days drink so much that they wouldn't be able to tell wether a drink was spiked or not anyway. They are often so trollied these days that men have probably given up spiking drinks knowing the women will incapaciatate themselves anyway and ironically at their own expense.

I'm glad when I was younger ladies were still around.
Even if thrown at me I would find it easy to resist some slobering young girl who couldn't stand or speak properly no matter how nice her cleavage was.

Big Fat F'r

1,232 posts

237 months

Sunday 25th November 2007
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mark69sheer said:
I had a spiked drink last year.
As I say, the unluckiest man alive.

BFF

WildCat

8,369 posts

274 months

Sunday 25th November 2007
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Golden rule.. never leave drink unattended. If I leave drink to go dancing with Mad Doc even .. I either finish the drink first or order a fresh on on return from the dance floor. (He take me to dinner dances over Christmas season.. I get to wear my posh frock for a change laugh)

Suspect though that folk drink far too much - claiming drink laced with extra booze all the same.

But still - the golden rule remain.. you are responsible for your own drink (und amount consumed rolleyes) und should make sure you not give any chances for spiking.