A bartender has revealed how his quick thinking saved an unsuspecting woman from being slipped a date rape drug and potentially assaulted.
The bartender, who revealed the story anonymously via social media app Whisper, says they watched a man attempt to drug a woman’s drink, but thankfully managed to distract him long enough to switch the drinks.
“I’m a bartender,” the post read. “Last night I saw a guy drug a girl’s drink.”
“When he wasn’t looking I switched the drinks. Watched the guy drug himself.”
This isn’t the first time an everyday hero has stepped in to prevent date rape, last year a Facebook post by three women who stopped a man from drugging his date’s drink went viral.
RELATED: These Three Women Saved A Stranger From Date Rape
The ladies managed to intercept the woman in the bathroom and prevent her from drinking the drink.
While these stories of people stepping in and looking out for each other are inspiring, reports of sexual assaults are still on the rise in Australia and are currently at a six-year high, with four out of five victims being female.
However the reality is that the real numbers are much higher due to many incidents going unreported. According to the Fullstop Foundation, it is estimated that about 126,000 incidents of indecent or sexual assault occur annually in Australia, with only around 17 per cent of these being reported.
To stay safe and avoid having your drink spiked, the Australian Drug And Alcohol Foundation recommends:
- Avoid sharing drinks
- Don’t accept drinks from people you don’t know well or trust
- Many people have their drinks spiked by someone they know. To avoid this, buy or pour your own drinks
- Keep an eye on your friends and their drinks
There are a number of recent movements across the US and UK to help keep people safe while out drinking, including “Asking for Angela” or ordering an Angel shot.
A restaurant in St. Petersburg, Florida is doing its bit to help combat sexual assault, posting instructions in the bathroom on how to get waitstaff to help.
“Is your Tinder date not who they said they were on their profile? Do you feel unsafe or even just a tad bit weird?” If so, the sign advises, order an angel shot.
According to The Tampa Bay Times, “if a guest orders an angel shot neat, a bartender will escort them to their car. If they order it with ice, the bartender will call an Uber or a Taxi. Order it with lime and the restaurant staff will call the police.”
This comes after the “Ask for Angela” initiative in the UK went viral, which gives women a codeword to let bar staff know they are in an unsafe situation.
The initiative was created by the Lincolnshire Rape Crisis, a support service for women and girls in East England.
For more information about sexual assault, or for counselling or referral, call 1800RESPECT 1800 737 732, Australia’s national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service.
