Grenoble, Nantes, Rennes… In several cities in France, young people report having had the feeling of stings in the arm, the thigh, the buttocks during evenings in a nightclub. What to do when it happens? How to protect yourself? Tips.
The testimonies are multiplying. Grenoble, Rennes, Nantes, Béziers… Since March 2022, dozens of young people, men and women, say they have been stung during evenings in discotheques. Following these bites, various symptoms occur, rather mild: malaise, hot flushes, veil in front of the eyes, legs that let go, black hole… Several victims have lodged a complaint and surveys are underway to find the person(s) responsible and discover the substance injected. “I felt like a sting (…). In a few minutes my head was spinning, then I felt unwell. Very quickly, I no longer felt any limbs but I never lost consciousness” told Arthur on April 20, 2022 to our colleagues from Free lunch. The trail of GHB (also called “rape drug”) is issued but the analyzes carried out on the victims have not made it possible to find any trace of it. It could be other products. Victims did not report robbery, assault, sexual abuse or rape. After their declarations, several made a HIV testing to check for possible contamination and were placed on preventive treatments. From similar facts of “bites” in nightclubs have been reported end of 2021 in several regions ofEngland. In October, the British police received, according to AFP, 140 reports of incidents involving drugged drinks (in particular with GHB) and 24 involving bites. A petition has collected more than 160,000 signatures asking the English government to make thorough searches compulsory at the entrance to night establishments. What to do if you think you’ve been stung at a party? What are the good preventive actions? Tips
What to do if you think you’ve been bitten in a nightclub?
React quickly. “It is imperative that victims manifest themselves without delay to the police station or the gendarmerie of their domicile, or nearest hospital, insisted the public prosecutor of Béziers Raphaël Balland, Wednesday, April 20. This is to take immediate urine and blood samples to determine if they have actually been victims of the administration of a harmful substance. You have to move very quickly because, if it’s a question of GHB for example, the drug is present for less than 12 hours in the urine and a few hours in the blood. It is particularly difficult to detect because it quickly disappears from the body.
How not to get drugged at a party?
- Be vigilant in the face of behavior evoking drunkenness or a state of sleep;
- Be vigilant about what is happening in isolated places (toilets, exteriors);
- Be vigilant about the circulation or handling of vials, syringes, powder;
- Be vigilant with people who appear to follow or accompany people
- Do not consume a drink whose origin you do not know;
- Do not consume another person’s drink;
- Do not leave your glass unattended;
- Put a protective cover on your glass;
- Keep an eye on your friend if you notice a change in behavior (drunkenness, drowsiness).
Sources:
AFP
GHB: Launch of a prevention campaign in night establishments. Rhône prefecture. March 4, 2022.