Warning on drink spiking

HEALESVILLE police have responded to rumours of drink spiking in Healesville with a degree of scepticism, and a warning.
Sergeant Tony Van Gorp said although no one had come forward with a complaint to police, he was aware of allegations being made in recent weeks.
“Drink spiking can be a really difficult thing to prove unless you have some sort of chemical analysis as evidence which shows you have a substance in your system.
“If someone comes in and says I was drugged, or passed out, but was drunk at the time, it is very difficult.”
He said however, this should not discourage anyone who believes they have been administered a drug without their knowledge from reporting the matter to police.
He said victims of drink spiking can feel foolish, or that there is nothing that can be done but said police need to know and would be concerned if a number of reports surfaced.
“While this is something that is more relevant in city-type venues, drink spiking is something people, particularly women, should regard as a constant concern and take proper precautions,” Sgt Van Gorp advised.
He said people are often less guarded in their own community, which, he added can be a downfall if they are less guarded about precautions they might take otherwise.
“If anyone suspects they have been a victim of drink spiking, they need to seek medical advice as soon as possible and, ideally, get some hard evidence of what the drug is,” he said.
The Mail would be interested in hearing from anyone who believes they may have been a victim of drink spiking.