Page 3876 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 19 September 2017
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As I touched on before, we know that drink spiking is often a very gendered crime. In fact, Victoria’s excellent Better Health website tells us—and the Deputy Chief Minister mentioned this before—that it is women who are under 34 who are most often the targets; women just like me. The Better Health website states:
Studies show that most victims are not aware of the dangers of drink spiking. For example, many victims do not think they are at risk of drink spiking. Travelling to and from a venue, particularly at night, is generally seen as a greater threat to personal safety than drink spiking. A victim may no longer consider an unknown person to be a stranger after talking to them for a while. They are then more likely to accept a drink from them.
Going back to how I started my speech, Australia’s cultural approach to drink spiking places the burden on people who are trying to have a good time to be vigilant and to be watchful rather than deterring it from happening in the first place. If we do any search online about drink spiking, time and again it is all about “tips to protect yourself and your friends” when you are out, that you need to avoid being an easy target, and “safety suggestions”. Here is an example from the Better Health website of some of their tips:
Party with trusted friends. Discuss how you will watch out for each other while at the venue.
Buy your own drinks. Watch the bartender prepare your drink.
Don’t accept any drinks from strangers.
Accompany the person to the bar if you do wish to accept the offer of a drink from a stranger. Take the drink from the bartender yourself.
Be wary if a stranger buys you a drink and it’s not the type of drink you requested.
Don’t take your eyes off your drink. If you have to leave the table … ask a friend to watch over the drinks.
Buy drinks that come in bottles with screw-top lids. Carry the bottle in your bag when you go to the toilet or have a dance.
Don’t consume your drink if you think it may have been spiked. Discuss your concerns with the manager or host.
Tell the manager or host immediately if you see someone spike a drink or if you suspect that drink spiking may be occurring.
Those are a lot of instructions on how to have a good time. While they are good tips, and I certainly advocate responsible drinking and encourage responsible behaviour, it does place the burden on those who are going out and wanting to have a good time, on those who are not doing the wrong thing. Frankly, women should not have to be told to be vigilant in any circumstances, to be careful or to be alert, to be constantly on the
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