While recently there has been an upsurge in GHB poisoning, nicknamed the date rape drug, Victoriaville is no exception to this phenomenon.
“It’s not a big problem here, but yes, there is”, confirms the director general of the Center for help and the fight once morest sexual assault (CALACS) United-vers-elles of Victoriaville, Lise Setlakwe .
In the past year, three people have come to CALACS for help.
It is possible to think that this figure might be higher, since this substance remains barely six hours in the blood and 10 to 12 hours in the urine.
Therefore, it becomes difficult to assess the extent of the problem due to the short time to detect this substance.
“About once every two weeks, we pick up a person who has possibly been intoxicated,” said the president and CEO of the Tolérance Zéro (TZ) escort service, Mélanie Dionne.
“It happens that the person is so intoxicated that we have to take him to the hospital,” continues Ms. Dionne.
Very few pass the test
The clinical coordinator at Action Toxicomanie, Audrey-Ann Lecours, explained that many people do not pass the screening test to find out if they have been drugged with GHB.
“They’re afraid of prejudice or being told they can’t drink,” she explains.
“It is still a very taboo subject and it is a brake [à passer le test] adds Ms. Lecours.
Ms Setlakwe pleads in the same vein.
“They don’t know what to think and feel like they’ve done something wrong,” she says. They feel a lot of guilt. »
Fear, isolation and diminished self-esteem are consequences suffered by people who have been sexually abused while intoxicated with GHB.
Not just in bars
The director general of CALACS in Victoriaville specified that in bars, as in other places or other situations, those who pour GHB into the glasses of their victims are often close to them.
“About 90% of sexual assaults are committed by relatives of the victims. Attacks under the influence of GHB are no exception,” she confirms.
Lise Setlakwe also indicated that it was not uncommon for this type of situation to occur during office parties, where the victims do not suspect that colleagues in whom they trust can act in this way.
“They will feel abandoned and wonder who they can trust,” she concludes.
Date rape drug | Prevention, the key | Coming at 11 a.m.
