CLUB DRUG WORRIES

In bars all over Fredericton, people go out to relax, meet new people, and
have a few drinks and a good time. In some cases the evening goes wrong, or
even becomes deadly.

GHB, Ketamine, and Rohypnol -- the most common club drugs, also known as
"date rape drugs" -- are easily obtained and concealed. They dissolve
quickly in liquids; GHB and Ketamine ("Special K") even look like water, so
they are virtually undetectable. Combined with alcohol, their effects are
increased even as they are rendered even less detectable.

Within 10 to 20 minutes of consuming these club drugs, you could experience
any number of symptoms, including drowsiness, dizziness, euphoria, slurred
speech, delayed reaction time, and confusion, many of which coincide with
symptoms of drunkenness. That makes club drugs even more effective in that
the other possible effects -- hallucinations, amnesia, and cardiac
excitement -- might be masked until it is too late. You might not even
realize anything is wrong until you wake up from your semi-consciousness
anywhere from three to 72 hours later, and discover your entire world has
been violently changed.

Sometimes victims slip into a coma and don't wake up at all. That is what
happened to a 37 year-old woman in St. Stephen last year, causing New
Brunswick's Chief Coroner to raise the alarm about the need for more
eduation on club drugs.

UNB has already been proactive in its efforts to raise awareness about the
drugs. Joanne Barr, Coordinator of the University Women's Centre, is
spearheading an awareness campaign through Club Drug Awareness Day.

Now an annual event, Club Drug Awareness Day aims to raise awareness of the
common club drugs, give advice on how to avoid them, and how to deal with
the situation if you think you have ingested some: the most important thing
being to find someone you can trust and tell them as soon as possible.

Fredericton is small, but is far from immune; this is not just a problem
"somewhere else." "Incidents locally are on the rise," Barr said, although
there are few statistics on the incidents because most go unreported.

Barr is asking clubs and bars across Fredericton to take an active interest
in the campaign. The Social Club is leading the way, being actively
involved in the campaign from the start. Barr anticipates a high level of
participation in the program from places that serve alcohol. "If local
managers are proactive, and take the intiative to protect their clients --
that is the sort of establishment students will frequent," she said. Both
the Social Club and the Cellar are putting up posters with the Day's
slogan, "Know the Signs, Stop the Crime". There will also be tags on straws
that read, "Is your drink safe?" to remind people to be sure to know where
their drink is at all times, to ensure its safety.

Club Drug Awareness Day will be held on Thursday, Feb. 3, and will involve
information booths at both UNB and STU. The University Women's Centre will
be showing two films, "Deadly Games" and "Ecstasy and GHB" throughout the day.

General information on club drugs and related issues can be obtained
anytime from the University Women's Centre, or by contacting MASA at
masa@unb.ca.