Drink spiking amongst club goers is an ever increasing problem in the club scene here in South Africa. Unsuspecting club goers are affected every night by this act yet no one has spoken out about this problem recently.
South Africa’s premier female DJ, Lady Lea, wants the public to know about the dangers of drink spiking, what to look for and how to limit your chances of being an unsuspecting victim. Being right in the heart of the club scene, Lady Lea has seen and experienced everything.
‘This can happen to anyone, regardless of whether you’re male or female’ says Lady Lea. ‘People do it for a number of reasons - to rob you, take advantage of you, jealousy or even get a kick out of watching someone suffer from a spiked drink. The most commonly used substances are Rohypnol and GHB mixed with alcohol, they are tasteless and cannot be seen when added to a drink. They take effect very quickly and cannot be traced in the bloodstream after 48 hours. My friends and fellow DJ’s have had bad experiences when it comes to this – these people who do it are sick and the situation is extremely unfortunate’
Lady Lea has some points for club goers to take notice of when out having a party:
· Don’t take drinks from strangers or even acquaintances that you’re not too familiar with especially when you’re out alone.
· If you’re offered a shooter by a barman or someone else, make them drink half first before you have it to make sure there’s no other substance in it.
· Be wary of anyone following you around a club that you don’t know and be careful where you place your drink and always keep an eye on it – people who spike drinks are very quick!
· If you feel uncomfortable in a club about your drink or someone in the club, inform the manager and make them aware of the situation.
· Take special care, have a PARTY but be cautious.
There are at times situations where someone you’re out with, be it a friend, boyfriend or girlfriend, is a victim of this disgusting act. The effect doesn’t only take place on the victim, but also on the people around the victim as it is quite a traumatizing incident. The following points from Lady Lea are what to do when put into this situation:
Stay with the person whose drink has been spiked. DO NOT leave them with random people.
Call the club manager to let them know about the situation.
Take them to a quiet spot in the club (if possible)
Inform the parents or someone who is close to the victim and you know you can trust.
Make sure they drink lots of water and get them home as soon as possible.
If the case is serious, get them to the nearest 24 hour emergency room.
‘This is a serious problem facing the club scene here and we need to make club goers aware of the fact that it is happening every night and the attitude of ‘It’ll never happen to me’ must be stopped. People must be able to go to clubs, feel safe and have the party of their life!’
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