Travel Safety – Drink Spiking During Travel
By Nicole Evans
It may not be a new problem, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going away any time soon. In fact, drink spiking may be on the rise in several locations globally, including Asia and the UK. So why do people spike drinks, and what can you do to protect yourself and travel safely?
In Australia, over 40% of women say they’ve had a drink spiked or someone has attempted to spike their drink. In those cases, it’s usually men spiking women’s drinks. But men, you’re not safe, especially while traveling. In many cases, drinks are spiked for reasons of robbery. Locals posing as other travelers make friends with you in a bar and spike your drink – when you fall ill, it’s easy for them to rob you.
And it’s difficult to prove. Most drugs used for drink-spiking leave the system within about three – twelve hours, leaving you with only an empty wallet and no memories – if you’re lucky. Here are some travel safety tips for keeping yourself safe at the bar.
Drink Spiking – How To Protect Yourself
You must be aware of your surroundings. Especially when you’re in areas where drink spiking is more common for tourists, like Asia and some parts of Europe, keep a close eye out. If your drink tastes ‘off’ or looks cloudy or discolored, don’t drink it. The price of buying a new drink is much lower than getting robbed or molested. If someone offers to buy you a drink, either don’t accept or go to the bar with them and watch the drink being made. Bar staff will rarely be in cahoots with the drink spiker, but always be cautious and be aware of what kind of bar you’re in. Never leave your drink unattended, even for a minute.
And if you or a friend starts to feel unusually sick, nauseous, or unresponsive – all drink spiking symptoms – don’t seek help from the other bar patrons. Go directly to the bar staff and get help from them.
With these tips in mind, remember to have fun while on your travels! Not everyone is out to rob you, so just stay aware and remember these travel safety tips.
