About Sexual Assault > Drugs and Sexual AssaultBe Aware

How to Protect Yourself

Despite the advantage these drugs give to a would-be attacker, there are things you can do to protect yourself. One of the best things you can do is to be aware of your surroundings, particularly at parties, bars and clubs. Also follow these tips —

• Don't accept opened drinks, including nonalcoholic ones, from people you don't know, (no matter how extremely hot they are).
• Don't drink beverages that you did not open yourself.
• Don't share or exchange drinks with anyone (even if it's a friend, you don't know if they've been watching their drinks).
• No matter how appealing it looks or delicious it may taste, don't drink home-made vats of mixed drinks from a bath tub (gross), community cooler, etc.
• Don't drink from bottles or containers being passed around.
• If possible, bring your own drinks to parties.
• If someone offers you a drink from the bar at a club or party, accompany the person to the bar to order your drink, watch the drink being poured, and carry the drink yourself.
• Don't leave your drink unattended while talking, dancing, using the restroom, etc. Take it with you everywhere.
• If you realize your drink has been left unattended throw it away.
• Don't drink anything that has an unusual taste or appearance (e.g., salty taste, excessive foam, unexplained residue).
• In advance of going out, make plans with your friends (especially the designated driver or designated sober friend) to check on each other.
• If you start to feel strange or unusually intoxicated, seek help from a friend.
• Go home with the same group of people you went out with.

Signs You May Have Been Drugged

• Feeling much more intoxicated than your usual response to the amount of alcohol you consumed.
• Waking up very hung over, feeling "fuzzy."
• Experience memory lapse or "loss of time."
• Unable to recall what happened for a period of time after you consumed a drink.
• Feeling as though someone had sex with you, but unable to remember parts of or the entire incident.

Not everyone is affected by these drugs the same way. It's difficult to predict the exact effects of any drug on a particular individual. The effects may vary depending upon the drug, the dosage, and whether the drug is mixed with alcohol or other drugs. Other factors that influence how a particular drug will affect you are your weight, gender and metabolism