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Campaign highlights drug rape

CLUBBERS were being warned to watch their drinks at Christmas with a new campaign designed to prevent incidents of drug rape.

Camberley police have teamed up with High Street club Envy to make sure revellers stay safe - but enjoy themselves - over the festive season. Bar staff working at the club will distribute hundreds of plastic green hedgehogs called Spike when they serve drinks to customers. They will also have testing kits which can be used as a guide to detect whether drinks have been spiked with date rape drugs like Rohypnol. Pc Dave Griffiths - who is helping to co-ordinate the scheme - said other pubs and clubs in Surrey Heath would be joining the initiative once it was up and running. He said: "There have been no incidents like this reported here in Camberley and I think that's a good thing and we want to keep it that way if possible." Staff at Envy will be on the look out for anyone they think could be a victim and will pop the green plastic drinks guardian on to the glass.

General manager at Envy, Martin Furtauer-Hayes, said the club was happy to support the police's campaign to prevent drug rape occurring in Camberley.

"The staff will be briefed to pick out people who might be at risk - like groups of girls, in particular."

He added it was not only potential victims that bar staff would keep an eye, but anyone who they believed might be capable of spiking someone's drink.

"There has never been an incident of drink spiking at Envy, however it is essential for us to be aware of the increasing dangers of drink contamination and management. Our registered door stewards are trained to recognise the danger signals and to watch for predatory behaviour or possible reactions."

He hoped the campaign would make people aware of the possible dangers and said the club would be also displaying posters to reinforce the message.

Rohypnol and GHB are two drugs most commonly associated with date rape incidents and are quickly absorbed into the blood stream. The drugs are also difficult to detect afterwards as they are expelled by the body rapidly.

GHB takes the form of a colourless liquid and has no smell. It was outlawed earlier this year and dealers could face up to five years in jail. Rohypnol is a tranquillizer designed to reduce anxiety and is commonly found in a tablet form.

A Surrey Police spokeswoman said: "Both drugs produce feelings of relaxation and euphoria and people under the influence can lose their inhibitions.

"It can cause people to become nauseous or become sleepy and pass out. Both drugs can result in memory loss and black-outs, making it difficult to prove what has happened and sometimes making victims unsure as to whether they have been assaulted."

Pc Scott Kemp, divisional drugs liaison officer, said any incidents of drink spiking should be reported to the police and medical advice sought as soon as possible. He added the drugs kits available to bar staff could be used as a guide that would indicate whether the drink has been tampered with.

"We are determined to crack down on anyone caught bringing these drugs into any of the pubs, clubs and bars in Surrey Heath. Victims of drink spiking can often suffer long-term effects and in some cases, can fall prey to sexual attacks. We don't want to spoil anyone's night out or suggest that it is not safe to go out at night, but it is important that people are aware of the risks and keep a watchful eye on their drinks at all times."

Pictured is PC Dave Gibbons, left, and Martin Furtauer-Hayes from Envy nightclub in Camberley at the launch of the drug rape spiked drinks campaign.

Source: Surrey Hants Star December 2003

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