- Don’t share or exchange drinks with anyone.
- If you are accepting a drink, make sure it’s from an unopened container and that you open it yourself.
- Do not drink from open containers at parties and accept drinks only from bartenders or servers, watch them open the can or pour—don’t be distracted by conversation.
- If dancing, don’t leave your drink unattended. If you realize your drink has been left unattended, toss it out.
- Consider buying a specially designed drug testing coaster—see below to test your drink for the drug. They are low-cost and a smart choice.
- Remember any kind of beverage can be drugged—there is no taste or smell.
- If possible bring your own drinks to parties. Don’t drink from a container that is being passed around
- If your drink tastes or looks differently than it should or tastes funny or salty, foamy, cloudy, or if it has residue in it throw it away!
- Don’t go to parties alone; travel in a group of people and stick together at a party. Look out not only for yourself, but keep an eye on your female friends.
- A really good idea is to not let your friends get too drunk or wasted. If they do party intensely, take them home, staying with them to make sure they are all right before leaving.
- Don’t let your friend disappear and don’t let them wander off with a member of the opposite sex, stay by their side. Don’t leave with someone you do not know well or have just met.
- Don’t put your drink down and leave it unattended, even to go to the restroom. Monitor your drink constantly.
- Refuse to drink from a punchbowl; this is a place where anything can be dropped in.
- Stay sober. Don’t use drugs or alcohol; you need to have a clear head at all times.
- Assign a designated sober person when going out.
- Notify other female friends you know about the effects of this dangerous drug.
- Be observant to the behaviors and actions of your friends, trust your instincts.
- Listen for the street names of the drugs mentioned above.
The Reality of the Date Rape Drug – Educating Yourself and Your Friends, Part 2
By: Mardie Caldwell, COAP (View Profile)
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Mardie Caldwell, C.O.A.P. is a Certified Open Adoption Practitioner, an award winning author of 2 adoption books AdoptingOnline.com and Adoption: Your Step-by-Step Guide. Mardie is also the talk show host of Let's Talk Adoption.com with Mardie Caldwell and the founder of Lifetime Adoption in 1986. She travels and speaks nationwide on adoption topics, family topics, infertility and writing. She has been quoted in and consulted for Parenting and Adoption magazines and has appeared on CNN, CBS, ABC, BBC, NBC, and Fox. Featured in Parade Magazine, Caldwell is an adoptive mother living in Northern California.
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