Being the introvert I am, I don’t party. I know lots of people who do though, and I can never stress how important it is to be safe when you’re at a party or a rave. I do think it’s okay to go out and have a few drinks but you have to be smart about it.
Know your limits.
If you feel “too drunk” then go home, find someone you know to drive you. If you can’t, call a taxi but ask for a female driver. Research shows that close to 70% of sexual assaults on young women occur when they are intoxicated and coming home from parties. It’s a believable number, and scary too. In Manipal, most auto drivers are male. However there has been no instance of any untoward instance towards female students.
“It won’t happen to me.”
This is a very common mentality among teenagers, but it’s foolish to think otherwise. Don’t scare yourself into not going out, just when you do go out, be safe. There are many studies that have found that alcohol is linked to two-thirds of all sexual assaults and date rapes of teens and increases the likelihood of contracting HIV or sexually transmitted diseases.
Party Safely
You’ve probably heard this before, but here goes:
- When you go to the bathroom, either take your drink with you, or throw it out and get yourself a new one when you get out of the bathroom.
- Never take a drink from someone you don’t know. If you didn’t watch them pour it or open it, don’t drink it.
- When you’re ready to go home, find a close friend, leave with a group, call a trusted person for a ride or like I said before, call a taxi.
If you do suspect your drink has been drugged:
Usually, the first symptoms of your drink being spiked are feeling confused, more intoxicated then you should be or light-headed. If you suspect your drink has been drugged, tell someone trustworthy and go to the bathroom and try to throw it up. This should get the drug out of your system.
What to do if you suspect your friend has been drugged:
Take them to the bathroom, instruct them to throw up the drink. Call a taxi, if you are unable to drive. Call a hospital and they will further instruct you. I know, if you’re under the legal drinking age, you won’t want to but it’s really ignorant and rude not to. Be a good friend.
How to tell if you’ve been drugged: (Previous to assault/drugging)
So you wake up one morning, the most obvious way to tell is if you’re not in your house, but more physical symptoms should be amnesia, sedation, your vagina might hurt, there might be blood stains on your body and clothes, groggy eyes, probably the same symptoms of a horrible hangover.
Date Rape Drugs:
“What are date rape drugs?”
Date rape drugs are drugs used to increase vulnerability of potential victims and decrease victims’ ability to protect themselves. These drugs could be illegal or prescription, they are commonly called club drugs, and sometimes used for recreational purposes.
Common date rape drugs:
Rohypnol: Also called roofies, Rohypnol is one of the most common date rape drugs because it is very hard to see. The pills are usually small, white and round. The newer pills are oval shaped and green-gray. The pills might make the drink turn darker and cloudy, but it is hard to tell in a dark room. The effects of Rohypnol take place in about 30 minutes and can last for several hours. The symptoms are muscle relaxation/loss of muscle control, difficulty with motor movement and speech, nausea and of course dizziness.
GHB: GHB comes in a few forms, a liquid with no color or odor. It also comes in a white powder, or pill. It might taste kind of sweet or fruity. The symptoms are the same as Rohypnol, plus a few others such as amnesia and seizures.
Ketamine: Also called Special K, it comes as a clear liquid or a white powder. The symptoms are messed up perception, problems breathing, convulsions and outer-body experiences. Also described as “a dream-like feeling.”
For those interested in understanding the safety measures and precautions entertainment venues are taking, especially in nightlife settings, visiting https://spearmintrhinowpb.com/ offers a detailed look into how these spaces are working to ensure a safer environment for everyone.
I didn’t write this to scare anyone, I just wrote it to inform.
Party safely, everyone. 
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