OVER THE EDGE _ February 28, 2007

Prince George and
The Horrors of Date-

Rape Drugs

and raped used fo cross tiny mind
as much as figuring the chances of
falling off of bridge or dying ina
fire. | never thought about it, But
T think about tt now — because it
happened to me eight years ato.
When 1 was 15a friend and
{ were feeling a little rebellions
and my parents Were out of tewn.
Some alder guys invited us ever to
their place fora party. So we went,
After some beers we were feeling
a little tipsy and one of the guys
started coming ento us, | got up at
one point to use the washroon |
remember walking down the nar
row hallway to the bathroom and
fecling Something coming over
me. | heard rushing noises and felt
like 1 was in some sort of surreal
state of mind where everything
was in slow motion, I couldn't
figure out why: I'd only had a
few beers: | remember feeling as
though I wasn the washroom for
a long time fecling confused. The
next thing | kwew [ opened my
ayes to daylight. | was in a bed, J
. was naked and the same guy who
had been hitting on me earlier was
sleeping on the other side of the
bed. That was when 1 beoame
really scared. 1 looked around
for my clothes but couldn’t see
them anywhere. I felt very heavy,
as though a lead had been placed
on my body. My genital area was
sore and mnitated and | couldn’t
stand the thought of why that
might be, 1 crawled out of the bed
and grabbed a Tshirt and « pair
af shorts that were lying on the

The thought of being drugged —

aie.

floor. Feeling clumsy, 1 put them
on and left the bedroom. | started
up the hallway and that’s when J
found my friend. She was lying in
the hallway wearing nothing but
her bra and underwear. | crotiched
down and tned to wake her with-
out making too much nose. She
wouldn't wake up tight away but
atier a minute or two managed
to wake enough and listen to. me
when | told her she had to stand
up. She was still io a state where
she didnt know whene she was or
what she was doing. J was shaking
now and half dragged her out to
the living mem where we found
her clothes and lefi

The next week I ran into one
of the guys at the party who |
knew to be a decent and kind per-
son. He clammed up when I asked
him what happened at that party.
He looked upset but wouldn't talk
abour it. That’s when ! decided
that 1 didn’t want to know — I
didn’t ever want to know because
knowing would make it all real.
To this day | stil] don*tAmow what
happened, Bat I do know for some
reason I can't stand the thought of
trusting another person. I have
to force myself to be intimate
with a partoer and feel as though
1 fake my way through bemg in

love, You see, bemeg raped isn'ta

“thing” that happens to someone,
its something that never goes
away.

Covoune FER
Did ‘peu know- that Prmce

George fs host to varions dogs
nsed to facilitate sexnal assault?

| These drugs are being used in

ideal drinking establishments.

at. partics, and anywhere else

| Perpetrators can think of placing
| therm into the beverages of ui-

suspecting people: Rohypnol.
GHB, DXM and Ketamine are all
tasteless, colorless and odorless
drugs than can be easily slipped
mio anyene’s drink. Alarmingly,
the dogs com have a sedating ef-
fect within twenty minutes. These
dogs, especially when mgested
with aloahol, can cause contusion,
loss of inhibition, impaired o1em-
ory Or amnesia, severe drowsiness
and ever uincoriscidysness:

If is important to stay sate. IF
you are ai a drimiing establixh-
ment, always watch yout drinks,
even if that means bringitty them
with you to the bathroom or to
dance, Leaving your drink with
a friend does not guarantee that
they will not look away for a-see-

and. tf accepting 4 demk form.

someone. make sure you take the

drink direcily: form the bartend-

{f you suspect that yourself or
someone you know has tinknow-
ingly been giver. a drug goes to
the hospital emergency, to be test-
ed for the presence of ape, drugs.
If you believe you may have been
sexually assaulted, you may also
ask to be physically examined.
Report the incident ta ihe polige,
Most importantly, have somcone
you trust stay with you in ander to
support you through this process,
Additionally, sack out support
afterwards, UNBC Coimsdling
(960-6369) can provide counsel-
ing services to help you cope with
your experience, in the cormmnn-
ity: call the Cnsis Intirmation
Center at 563-1214 tor support
and referrals to other community
Agencies:

It ix: only by raising awareness
and educating ourselves, by.com-

- ing forward and repetting instan-
ees and by pressuriig the people

who are doing this thal we can arm

-olirselves with protection from this

crime. The more instaitces that are
“reported fo police, the more they
will be -aware-of the prevalence
of the problem. lf anyone you
know may: be. giving yape drugs to
unsuspecting aig do the: ght