Young Australians preparing for Schoolies have been urged to take drink spiking seriously, look after their friends and seek immediate medical help if someone appears to be losing control of their faculties.
Tanya Plibersek, the Social Services Minister, said preventing drink spiking and sexual assault was a shared responsibility involving both those at risk and the people around potential offenders.
“People are heading off to Schoolies. We do have to say to young people, girls and boys, be careful. Watch your drink. Don’t leave it unattended. Watch your friends’ drinks,” she said.
She also advised young people to ensure any drink bought for them by someone else was poured in front of them by a bartender.
But Ms Plibersek said greater attention needed to be given to those who planned and carried out assaults, as well as friends and associates who might be able to intervene.
“For someone to spike someone’s drink, they have to have bought the drug. They have to be sitting there waiting and watching. They have to take that moment. They have to get the person on their own and then sexually assault them,” she said.
“The level of planning that takes, surely, the friends they have around them, the people that they’re in company with, should be saying to them, mate, honestly, what are you planning? Think twice.”
Drink spiking symptoms can be difficult to identify
Senior emergency medicine specialist Dr Stephen Parnis said thousands of people were believed to attend emergency departments across Australia each year after suspected drink spiking.
He said the effects could vary widely, from relatively mild symptoms to life-threatening emergencies. Alcohol remained the most common drug involved in harmful cases and could result in hospitalisation, particularly if intoxication led to serious injuries.
Possible symptoms include sedation, nausea, vomiting and memory loss. Other substances, including ice or ecstasy, can produce stimulant effects such as agitation, a rapidly racing heart and high blood pressure.
“We know that many people who have suffered this assault don’t even know that it’s happened because the effects of any of these drugs is incredibly variable,” Dr Parnis said.
He said emergency treatment focused on keeping patients safe while the substances passed through their systems.
Ms Plibersek urged anyone who saw a member of their group becoming severely intoxicated or unwell to act quickly.
“If you’re out with a group and someone looks like they’re losing control of their faculties, get them somewhere safe. Get them to hospital,” she said.
