Editor’s Note: This story includes mention of sexual assault. Resources are available here.
More than 40% of men and 56% of women in a 2023 Alcohol.org survey reported they had “unknowingly consumed spiked food or drinks.”
Over half of the situations involving spiked food or drinks occurred while the respondents were in college. Alcohol was the main spiked substance the survey respondents consumed.
Little 500 weekend can be especially dangerous due to the number of parties and alcohol consumption.
Date rape drugs such as Rohypnol, usually called roofies, are sometimes used in drugged drinks to target victims for rape or sexual assault, according to the Office on Women’s Health. Other date rape drugs include GHB, GBL and ketamine.
How to prevent consuming a drugged drink:
Never leave your drink unattended. Keep your eyes on anything you’re consuming at all times. If you set your drink down, don’t drink from it again.
Avoid drinks from open containers. Punch bowls and other large containers can be more easily tampered with.
Don’t accept drinks from strangers. Make sure to only accept drinks from people you trust.
Stick with your friends. While partying, go with people you trust. Cleveland Clinic recommends looking out for each other and paying attention to friends' behavior and if they seem like they could have been roofied.
Signs that you were roofied:
Being roofied can cause nausea, vomiting, difficulty staying awake, confusion, trouble balancing, paranoia, hallucinations, memory loss, weakness and slurred speech according to Cleveland Clinic.
Watch for unexpected shifts in behavior from friends, such as appearing much more drunk than they should for the amount they drank. Drugs commonly used in roofied drinks work quickly, typically between 10 and 30 minutes after consumption.
How to tell if your drink was spiked:
It can be difficult to tell if a drink has been spiked. Spiked drinks can often look cloudy, taste different, have excessive bubbles, change color or have a powder residue.
What to do if you think you or a friend has been roofied:
Find a friend and seek medical treatment as soon as possible if you think you’ve been roofied. If you think a friend has been roofied, stick with them and seek medical treatment immediately. While waiting for help, have your friend drink water and don’t drink more alcohol.
Don’t hesitate to get help. Indiana’s Lifeline Law gives immunity to underage drinkers if they have called for medical assistance for an alcohol-related health emergency for themselves or someone else. The law also protects minors who had medical assistance called for them.
To be protected, the law requires all individuals to provide their full name to law enforcement officers, cooperate with authorities, give necessary information and remain on the scene until law enforcement and medical assistance arrives.
What to do if you think someone has overdosed:
Common symptoms of an overdose include being unconscious and unresponsive to stimuli, having trouble talking, having slow or erratic breathing, not breathing, choking or gurgling sounds, a slow or erratic pulse, pale gray or blue skin or lips and vomiting, according to the IU Office of Student Life.
If you think someone has overdosed, call 911 immediately. Narcan, or naloxone, can be used to reverse an opioid overdose and can assist in restoring consciousness or breathing long enough for emergency medical services to arrive.
The IU Substance Use Intervention Services office provides free naloxone kits with no appointment necessary. To apply Narcan, insert the tip of the nozzle into the person’s nostril and firmly press the plunger to release the dose.
Narcan only works on overdoses caused by opioids but has no additional harm if used on someone suffering from an overdose caused by a different substance.
