Beware - Spiked drinks on the increase

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Tshwane Metro Police narcotics unit commander Superintendent Mark Newham said the drugs used could have fatal consequences.

"The problem is that people who do this act on rumours of what and how much they should use which is what leads to poisoning and in some cases death.

"We have been finding people using drugs such as Ketamine, which is a veterinary sedative," he said.

The reason for rumours is that accurate, reliable information is not made available by the authorities.

[Dave A]

The reason for rumours is that accurate, reliable information is not made available by the authorities.

Oh! Read that post again please. I trust the inference that authorities should provide reliable information on how to spike drinks was unintended

What is more disconcerting to me, is the South African attitude that there is a point at which a criminal goes too far

Don't get me wrong - that bugs me too.

The drugging is definitely not OK. But the prospect of accidental homicide along the way as these bastards refine their act is even more terrifying in my eyes.

We're not alone with this problem by the way. I've heard that in the party parts of Spain you really need to take care of your drink too.

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I trust the inference that authorities should provide reliable information on how to spike drinks was unintended

It was somewhat unintended. But there is method to the madness, and it is a trend in modern society, I think. In this day and age we are encouraged to discuss and have knowledge of things that are actually illegal or taboo, to protect innocent people from other people who engage in those activities.

The Dutch government's decision to supply free sterilised needles to drug addicts in an effort to stem the tide of Aids, is an example. No-one should say that the Dutch government condones drug abuse, even though simple-minded folks may be eager to infer such agreement from that action.

Young people use rave drugs, and there is a lot of misinformation about how much is too much. This leads to people thinking that X or Y is safe, when it is in fact not. If some reliable source would inform people of the truth, then they would not make such mistakes. And informing them of the trust does not, in the modern Western world, imply that whoever gives the information actually condones the usage of it.

Another example of this attitude is the law in South Africa that provides for free, anonymous abortions to girls who are underaged. These girls broke the law by having had underaged sex. Our government does not condone their actions by giving them aid.

If a teenager has a friend who claims to use a rape drug when he goes to parties, then he can't tell him "You're playing with fire" without sounding like a goodie-twoshoes, because there is no official, reliable information to prove it. Government doesn't say "this amount of rape drug is lethal" -- no, government simply says "rape drug is illegal, so don't use it, period", and that is of no use to young people who use it.

So I guess I am after all saying that authorities should provide reliable information on how to spike drinks.