Don't bite that date rape bait.
August 8th, 2010
The recent case of the prolonged harassment and sexual abuse of a 20-year-old call centre employee brought to light the way prescription medication can be misused and turned into date rape drugs. Pradip Chandani, a bank employee in Mumbai, spiked the girl’s drink, took nude photographs of her and blackmailed her for two years.
Though cases of date-rape aided by drugs are not as widespread as in the capital and Mumbai, stray incidents are cropping up in Hyderabad too. And most often the intention is not rape, says Pranav Dey, a party regular and freelance trance DJ, who reveals that spiking drinks for fun is very common. “Since we are usually sober when we are spinning, it’s not hard to see what goes on at parties. On a high, thanks to a cocktail of spirits that they down, people lose their inhibitions anyway. Spiking drinks therefore is just that one last thing that’s done to ensure a ‘great time’. This sends the unsuspecting person tripping. Some guys also do it ’cos they want the woman they are with to be totally uninhibited,” says Dey.
If you don’t think it’s funny to be given a spiked drink then pay attention to what your parents say —get your own drink.
The risk seems to increase when the clubs close and people head to someone’s home for an after-party where drinks can be spiked more easily.
What is frightening is the ease with which a date-rape cocktail can be manufactured — OTC or prescription drugs, a popular pain killer, an anti-allergy pill, mixed in aerated drinks can push one into oblivion especially if the potential victim has already consumed alcohol. A local DJ says on the grounds of anonymity, that he is a first-hand witness, “One of my friends spiked another friend’s drink with a pill that knocked her out as she was already high.”
The International Narcotics Control Board’s (INCB) report attributed the rising use of date rape drugs and abuse of prescription drugs to sale through illegal online pharmacies, apart from drug peddlers. So how does a girl ensure her absolute safety? Dr Rajkumar Songa, general physician, Kamineni Hospitals, Abids, says, staying alert is the best safety measure. “Commonly abused knock-out pills are sedatives and anti-anxiety pills. There will be a subtle difference in the taste of your drink if it’s spiked. Look out for either a sour or bitter after-taste. But this difference in taste can be made out only if you know how the original drink tastes. So the thumb rule is to avoid accepting drinks that you’ve never tasted before.”
Fact file
* A spiked drink will taste either sour or bitter.
* A spiked drink hits you harder and faster than a regular one. So don’t dismiss that reeling head as a ‘happy high’. Approach the bouncer or a close friend immediately.(Source: Deccan Chronicle)
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