Moment With Mel: Always Watch Your Drinks And Your Friends
New data just released shows the number of incidents of sexual assaults involving college students is rising. Many of these incidents occur because the victims are drugged without their knowledge. And it’s so easy for someone to do! A few years ago, here in Charlotte, there were police reports by women who were ‘roofied’ at a local bar. Anytime you’re out with friends, you need to be careful.
I’m writing this with women in mind, but that doesn’t mean men can’t be drugged. I have my own experience and it was a scary event. In my 20’s I was working for a Charlotte radio station in promotions. I was at a Dave Matthews Band concert, and I was having drinks with a friend in the VIP section at PNC Music Pavillion. We were talking to a group of guys, college aged, and I went to the bathroom, leaving my beer on the table. When I came back, I continued drinking and chatting.
After finishing my beer, I started feeling weird. I felt woozy and unstable. My body felt like someone was pulling me backwards. Stumbling out of the VIP area, I suddenly felt sick. I fell into some bushes and began vomiting. Although I was aware of where I was, I couldn’t move my body. In my head I knew I hadn’t had enough to drink to be sick, so I was confused. Once I threw up, I just stayed in the bushes. Luckily, a guy I worked with found me. After that, all I remember is being carried up the stairs to my apartment.
There’s no question that one of the guys I was talking to drugged me. The next day, when I woke up, my head felt all fuzzy. I remembered having beers in the VIP area, and I remember my co-worker carrying me up the stairs to my apartment. That’s it. My roommate, who was with me at the show, told me what happened and how I was acting. She knew something was off and told me she thought I was drugged.
I’m extremely lucky my friends were around, and that we were in a public place. I have no idea if the guys who drugged me thought they would be able to assault me, or if they just drugged me for ‘fun’. It was a scary experience! After that, I never left my drink alone. And to date I still take my drink with me wherever I go, even to the bathroom. If I’m at a place with friends and we have a table to ourselves, I’ll leave my drink. But in a random bar, no way!
According to Huffington Post, the number of women drugged and assaulted is on the rise. Not only do you need to be aware of your surroundings, you also need to watch your friends. Roofies, ketamine, and GHB are commonly used drugs that people drop into drinks. They don’t have a taste, so you’ll have no clue someone did something to your drink. 50% of of date rapes happen after someone drinks a lot.
Although I’m now in my 50’s, I am still very careful about leaving my drink around. It doesn’t take long for someone to drug your drink. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, or RAINN, these are signs of being drugged:
- You feel disoriented and fatigued
- You become unconscious or blackout
- Your vision or hearing is off
- You vomit or feel like you’re hungover
- You have gaps in memory
- There are signs of possible sexual assault
What to do if you suspect you’ve been roofied:
- Identify a safe bystander who can help you
- Get medical help as soon as you can
- Make an effort to take care of yourself and your mental health
I never went to the doctor after being drugged. After a day or so, I felt better. As a woman who considers herself strong, I was embarrassed about what happened. This was in the 90’s and lots of us were unaware of ‘date rape’ drugs. Age is not a factor when it comes to assault. Anyone can be drugged and taken advantage of. This isn’t a fun topic, but with spring break happening, you need to be aware of potential dangers, as do your children if they’re high school or college aged.
When you’re out, always leave with your friends, and if you see one of them acting odd, it may not be just the alcohol. Always keep your cocktail close and be aware of your surroundings. And trust your gut! If you feel like someone is shady or they give you the creeps, get away from them. It sucks that you can’t just go out and have a good time without thinking about potential dangers, but that’s the world we live in.
‘Date rape’ drugs aren’t just at frat parties. People can be drugged without their knowledge at bars and restaurants too. Enjoy yourself, but always be careful!
“It’s scary how fast you can be drugged unknowingly, even when you think you’re being alert and aware of your surroundings,” one woman who was non-consensually drugged at a bar in Austin told me
— Brittany Wong (@brittanylwong) March 17, 2023
Here, experts share signs you've been roofied and what to dohttps://t.co/IMiRZ6pNWW
