DATE RAPE: DRINK MORE COMMON THAN DRUGS

While police are still warning of an increase in date rape, scientists
dealing with crime samples report high levels of alcohol in a large
number of cases.

Environmental Science and Research forensic manager Wayne Chisnall
said the institute had received 162 samples for analysis from police
investigating sexual assault cases in the past two years.

Of those, none had shown any trace of known date-rape drugs, such as
gammahydroxybutyrate (known as GHB or Fantasy) and ketamine. Twelve
samples had shown traces of sedatives but of those people, half
admitted taking the drug themselves. Of the remaining six affected,
two were men, which proved drink-spiking was not limited to women.

Mr Chisnall said scientists dealing with the samples reported high
levels of alcohol were found in a large number of samples. Alcohol
was, by far, the biggest issue.

But that did not mean that drink-spiking did not happen, or that those
who complained to police had not been drugged, he said. Some drug-rape
drugs could exit the bloodstream in about four hours, and from urine
in 12. Often the decision to act was not made till the drugs had
metabolised.

While ESR scientists did not believe drink-spiking was entirely an
urban myth, it was not as common as people were led to believe. The
gut feeling among those who analysed samples was that if drinks were
spiked, they were probably spiked with more alcohol.

ESR is the sole agency used by police to analyse samples from people
claiming to be a victim of drink-spiking, or who may have blacked out
or had an unusual reaction.

Research being conducted by the Western Australia Chemistry Centre, a
government agency, showed that out of 44 samples supplied by police
for testing over 18 months, none showed any trace of drugs that would
suggest drink-spiking had happened.

Detective Senior Sergeant Simon Perry of Wellington CIB said anecdotal
evidence showed that cases of drink-spiking were on the rise, but were
hard to prove.

"Actual occurrences are very difficult to verify. Where a drug is
found as a result of testing, it is in fact a bonus," he said.

The number of drink-spiking cases reported nationally to police each
year was not available as the police recording code pertaining to
drink-spiking was often not used.

"And if you think your drink has been spiked, get medical help and try
and get a urine and blood sample taken by a medical practitioner," he
said. Police were able to organise this.

Drug Rape Trust chairwoman Jenny Fenton said the prevalence of
drink-spiking was not overstated. But people also had to be aware of
their tolerance of alcohol and its effects, which could be mistaken
for being drugged, she said.