It is common to find people believe that they cannot get drugged at a party. Some even believe that getting drugged at a party is a myth and the prospect should not be given a second thought. When you neglect partying tips, you do not only endanger yourself but other people too.

We do not in any way condemn partying. In fact, we often encourage people to party and hang out with friends, but not irresponsibly. Attending parties is regarded normal especially for those in college as it helps them bond together and feels among.

However, recent reports have shown that most party drug abuse cases are from those in college. As it stands, it seems like we cannot avoid parties. How then do we avoid getting drugged at a party?

In this article, we shall discuss rape drugs and how to avoid them. Also, we shall give you tips to help you avoid getting drugged at parties. These tips are not just for men. It’s valuable information that you can also pass on to the women in your lives.

Date Drugs: Which Drugs Do You Need to Avoid?

You may have heard that people slip drugs into other people’s drinks at parties. Although this does not only occur at parties, it can occur in bars too. The drugs that are slipped into other people’s drinks are referred to as date rape drugs.

Date rape drugs impair your consciousness and allow for non-consensual physical contact. Usually, people use date rape drugs to take sexual advantage of their victims.

Date rape drugs are tasteless, odourless, and colourless making them almost impossible to detect.

Against popular opinions, date rapes do not happen only on dates or parties, they happen even at home. Partners or very close friends can drug you. Common date rape drugs you need to know include:

Rohypnol

Rohypnol commonly referred to as “roofie”, is one of the most common date rape drugs around. According to WebMD, it is chemically similar to Xanax and Valium. However, it is not approved for medical use. It is colourless, tasteless, and odourless. This is the reason it is almost undetectable.

Although Rohypnol is colourless, manufacturers have changed the pill to look more like an olive green tablet with a flecked blue core. This colouration is one of the answers to how not to get drugged at a party.

If Rohypnol is your drink, it shows a blue coloration alerting you your drink is not safe. This can prevent abuse and subsequent party drug addiction.

However, if by chance you take the drink, Rohypnol weakens you, making you sleepy and forgetful. Hence, why it is also referred to as the “forget-me-pill”.

You can start feeling the effects of Rohypnol as early as 30 minutes and it can last for hours. Do you want to prevent taking a Rohypnol roofie at a party? Then, keep a close eye on the colour of your drink.

Ketamine

Ketamine is also a common type of date rape drug. It is also known as k-hole, purple, or cat valium. The NCBI defines ketamine as a dissociative anesthetic that detaches people from their environment by distorting their sight and sound.

It explains why it is useful for surgical procedures both for humans and animals. Although it has medical applications too, the prospect of abuse is high with ketamine.

Ketamine is also tasteless, colourless, and odourless. Its side effects include.

• Hallucination
• Increased pressure
• Slowed heartbeat
• Nausea
• Drowsiness
• Numbness
• Slurred speech
• And agitation

GHB

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is a prescription used to treat a sleep disorder known as narcolepsy. The severe side effects of this drug are why it’s important to learn how not to get drugged at parties.

Side effects to look out for include vomiting, slowed heart rate, difficulty breathing, and death if in high doses.

The effects of GHB can start in 15 minutes and last for several hours. However, it is important to note that mixing the drug with alcohol aggravates these side effects.

Alcohol

Alcohol is the most common type of date rape drug. It can be used anywhere, on campuses, at home, or in bars. When a person takes too much alcohol, they begin to feel disorientated and unaware of their surroundings. So, it is easy for the perpetrators to assault the victim.

How To Avoid Being Drugged at a Party?

After discussing the different types of date rape drugs, we shall discuss how to not to get drugged at a party.

Don’t put your drink down

Sipping drugs into drinks when you are not paying attention is how perpetrators drug people at parties. In the event, you need to use the toilet or attend to something, do not leave your drinks alone. Not even for any reason.

Ensure you carry your drink along with you anywhere that you go. If you can’t carry your drink, get a new drink instead. If possible, try to place your hands over your drinks.

Part of how not to get drugged at a party is vigilance even while enjoying yourself. A hand over your drink will prevent someone from sleeping a pill in your drink — even when you are distracted.

Related Article: What is Party Drug Addiction?

Pay close attention to the bartender

A common tip to avoid getting drugged at a party is by paying close attention to the bartender. Sad as it may be, there are horror stories of bartenders drugging people at bars and parties.

A key hack to make sure you do not get drugged at parties is watching every move the bartender makes while mixing your drinks. This is one effective way to avoid date rape drugs.

This tip is not just for men. If you have women in your life, you can pass the information on.

An extension of this tip to avoid drugs at a party is watching who delivers your drinks. Unless, the person is someone you can trust, ensure that no one takes drinks for you.

Pump the keg yourself

Basically, if you do not want to get drugged at parties, do it yourself. It may seem like beer kegs at a party are for everyone. However, people desperate enough to try drugging you can go to any lengths.

Pump the keg yourself and take the drinks yourself. With this, no one can slip anything in your drink and get you drugged at a party.

Stick to canned beer

If you have had issues of party drug addiction before, you are likely to have trust issues with drinks at parties. This is a good thing. After all, you should always look out for yourself.

One way you can avoid getting drugged at a party is by sticking to canned beer if you must drink. By the very nature of its packaging, it is impossible to slip drugs into canned drinks. With can beers, you are sure your drink has not been mixed or tampered with.

Stay alert

We often tell people to stay alert at parties and in bars. First, know the kinds of people in your surroundings. It is okay to observe people at the party immediately when you get inside. Secondly, watch your drinks closely, if you notice you are drunk with just a few shots, call for help immediately.

Partying Tips for Adolescents

These tips will prevent you from getting drugged. And with zero exposure to these drugs, the chances of needing party drug addiction down the line reduce drastically.

Before the party

• Educate yourself and your friends about the possibility of getting drugs.
• Always stick with your friends. Ask them to look out for you and you do the same too.
• Ensure you make arrangements on how you will get home. Or you can hire a driver and ensure the driver doesn’t drink too.
• Have a plan B to get home.
• Ensure you eat well before leaving for the party. A full stomach slows down the absorption of alcohol in the stomach.

These are pre-party tips to follow to help you avoid getting drugged.

During the party

• Do not let others top your drinks for you. Never mix drugs with alcohol. Doing so can escalate the effects of the drugs.
• If you start feeling tipsy, do not drive yourself.
• Do not go off with a person you are meeting for the first time. If need be, collect the person’s number.
• Ensure you avoid verbal arguments as much as you can. Often, we advise people to walk away if it is unavoidable.
• Leave for somewhere safe if you do not feel safe at the party.
• Take condoms with you when going to parties. You may end up having sex
• Do not use needles and don’t share them.
• Inform a responsible adult if you start to feel tipsy.
• Take soft drinks, not alcohol.
• Take more water instead of alcohol.
• If you will take alcohol, drink responsibly.
• Dial triple zero for any emergency.

Related Article: What Happens During Opioid Rehab?

Final Words

Do not think that you cannot get drugged at parties. Several party drugs to look out for include Rohypnol, molly and ketamine.

If you need to buy drinks from a bartender, ensure that you do not leave them open and carry them along with you always. In cases of emergencies, you can call for help for yourself or even a friend.

Here at Inspire Change Wellness Addiction Treatment Center for Men, we care about your wellbeing whether it’s at parties or in your day-to-day lives. Do you have any addiction-related queries? Contact us today to speak with any of our addiction treatment experts!