News (Media Awareness Project) - CN ON: Date-Rape Drug Wake-Up Call for Sault |
| Title: | CN ON: Date-Rape Drug Wake-Up Call for Sault |
| Published On: | 2006-07-08 |
| Source: | Sault Star, The (CN ON) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-01-14 00:17:15 |
DATE-RAPE DRUG WAKE-UP CALL FOR SAULT
For more than a year now, counsellors at the Sexual Assault Care
Centre have been hearing similar stories from young women.
They've been to a party, had a few drinks and don't remember too much
more.
They're not drinking any more than they had at previous parties and
have never passed out or felt that paralyzing sensation they
experienced that night in question.
Some have "patchy" memories. Others remember nothing.
They wake up, sometimes partially clothed, believing that something
awful has happened, but not really recalling what.
They suffer from headaches, nausea, and feel achy and
drowsy.
Other symptoms include impaired memory, loss of muscle control and
confusion.
Some report a friend may have witnessed a sexual assault; many are
alone with their stories and inner knowledge that they have been assaulted.
"Last summer we had a major influx of these types of stories and each
one was very, very similar," said Beth Desaulnier, nursing team leader
at the Sexual Assault Care Centre. "It was about 60 per cent of our
clients who came here with the same story."
The Sexual Assault Care Centre doesn't do a complete break-down of its
statistics on a regular basis.
But attempts have been made to determine how prevalent the use of date
rape drugs are.
Desaulnier said that the centre's statistics show that between June
2005 and June 2006, about 28 clients reported the same scenario
through the "medical" arm of the centre and an additional 15 and 18
clients did so through the "counselling" arm.
The medical wing deals with clients who report attacks immediately or
shortly after the incident while the counselling arm includes those
with "delayed" reporting, sometimes weeks and months after the
incident, Desaulnier said.
While a few of the clients would find themselves at the Queen Street
centre within 24 hours of the incident, many won't show up for days or
weeks later, usually for a variety of reasons.
Desaulnier cautions that those who seek assistance after sexual
assaults are only a small percentage of those who are actually
assaulted and the statistics, while "huge" to the centre, only
represent "a snippet" of what may actually be occurring in the community.
Professionals at the centre, with the help of the Centre of Forensic
Sciences Northern Regional Laboratory, believe the woman are being
drugged with Gamma hydroxybutyrate, or GHB, a date rate drug.
City police say they haven't been investigating incidents with
allegations of the date rape drug but the centre counters that's not
unusual because only a small percentage of victims report that they
have been sexually assaulted.
"This is the biggest trend we've seen in the history of the centre in
my 15 years," Desaulnier said. "It becomes more of a huge problem
because police are not hearing about it."
The date rape drug is often popular because it leaves the system
within several hours after being mixed into a drink.
By the time urine or blood tests are completed, there is no trace of
the drug left in the body, Desaulnier said.
The concoction can be easily mixed at home and recipes exist on the
internet.
What's even more disturbing to the centre, is that the victims
reporting the incident are younger than the norm, many of them between
the ages of 14 and 17.
The findings are not confined to Sault Ste. Marie or the local Sexual
Assault Care Centre, said Rita Taillefer, manager of the centre.
Similar reports have been noted in the 33 sexual assault care centres
across Ontario.
The centres are to launch a study to try to get a clearer picture on
what is going on and how to combat date rape assaults.
Locally, the Sexual Assault Care Centre is launching a two-prong
campaign this summer to educate young people and raise awareness of
the problem.
They're sending their messages to young people through posters, on
coasters and on t-shirts that will be highlighted in bars, warning of
the dangers of leaving a drink unattended.
The Sexual Assault Care Centre and the Algoma Health Unit are also
teaming up to get the message into the school system, targetting young
teens between the ages of 14 and 17.
Desaulnier said the education program will begin in the new school
year, likely through the physical education program.
It will focus on educating teens of the dangers of leaving drinks
unattended, how to keep drinks safe or watched by a friend and what to
be aware of.
For more than a year now, counsellors at the Sexual Assault Care
Centre have been hearing similar stories from young women.
They've been to a party, had a few drinks and don't remember too much
more.
They're not drinking any more than they had at previous parties and
have never passed out or felt that paralyzing sensation they
experienced that night in question.
Some have "patchy" memories. Others remember nothing.
They wake up, sometimes partially clothed, believing that something
awful has happened, but not really recalling what.
They suffer from headaches, nausea, and feel achy and
drowsy.
Other symptoms include impaired memory, loss of muscle control and
confusion.
Some report a friend may have witnessed a sexual assault; many are
alone with their stories and inner knowledge that they have been assaulted.
"Last summer we had a major influx of these types of stories and each
one was very, very similar," said Beth Desaulnier, nursing team leader
at the Sexual Assault Care Centre. "It was about 60 per cent of our
clients who came here with the same story."
The Sexual Assault Care Centre doesn't do a complete break-down of its
statistics on a regular basis.
But attempts have been made to determine how prevalent the use of date
rape drugs are.
Desaulnier said that the centre's statistics show that between June
2005 and June 2006, about 28 clients reported the same scenario
through the "medical" arm of the centre and an additional 15 and 18
clients did so through the "counselling" arm.
The medical wing deals with clients who report attacks immediately or
shortly after the incident while the counselling arm includes those
with "delayed" reporting, sometimes weeks and months after the
incident, Desaulnier said.
While a few of the clients would find themselves at the Queen Street
centre within 24 hours of the incident, many won't show up for days or
weeks later, usually for a variety of reasons.
Desaulnier cautions that those who seek assistance after sexual
assaults are only a small percentage of those who are actually
assaulted and the statistics, while "huge" to the centre, only
represent "a snippet" of what may actually be occurring in the community.
Professionals at the centre, with the help of the Centre of Forensic
Sciences Northern Regional Laboratory, believe the woman are being
drugged with Gamma hydroxybutyrate, or GHB, a date rate drug.
City police say they haven't been investigating incidents with
allegations of the date rape drug but the centre counters that's not
unusual because only a small percentage of victims report that they
have been sexually assaulted.
"This is the biggest trend we've seen in the history of the centre in
my 15 years," Desaulnier said. "It becomes more of a huge problem
because police are not hearing about it."
The date rape drug is often popular because it leaves the system
within several hours after being mixed into a drink.
By the time urine or blood tests are completed, there is no trace of
the drug left in the body, Desaulnier said.
The concoction can be easily mixed at home and recipes exist on the
internet.
What's even more disturbing to the centre, is that the victims
reporting the incident are younger than the norm, many of them between
the ages of 14 and 17.
The findings are not confined to Sault Ste. Marie or the local Sexual
Assault Care Centre, said Rita Taillefer, manager of the centre.
Similar reports have been noted in the 33 sexual assault care centres
across Ontario.
The centres are to launch a study to try to get a clearer picture on
what is going on and how to combat date rape assaults.
Locally, the Sexual Assault Care Centre is launching a two-prong
campaign this summer to educate young people and raise awareness of
the problem.
They're sending their messages to young people through posters, on
coasters and on t-shirts that will be highlighted in bars, warning of
the dangers of leaving a drink unattended.
The Sexual Assault Care Centre and the Algoma Health Unit are also
teaming up to get the message into the school system, targetting young
teens between the ages of 14 and 17.
Desaulnier said the education program will begin in the new school
year, likely through the physical education program.
It will focus on educating teens of the dangers of leaving drinks
unattended, how to keep drinks safe or watched by a friend and what to
be aware of.
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