When possible stick to a plan and avoid letting a friend go off with a stranger. Parties can be a fun way to meet new people but we must remember to use caution around unfamiliar faces.
Most victims never see it coming. It only takes a second for someone to slip something into your drink without you knowing. Within minutes you can be sedated and completely unaware of your surroundings. It's always a good idea to keep your drink in front of you and never let it out of sight.
For the busy traveler, checking in and out of hotels can be tiresome and draining. It's moments like these in hotel lobbies that we are most vulnerable. The busy executive exhausted from travelling checks in and walks over to the lobby bar for a midnight cap. After sitting at the bar for a few minutes, she realizes that she needs to print out a document and leaves her drink unattended, meanwhile an unknown assailant notices the unguarded drink and slips something into her beverage unknowingly. Within minutes the victim has ingested the substance and becomes weak and disoriented leaving her completely vulnerable to the people and circumstances around her. Acting as the victims savior, the assailant offers to take the sickly looking person up to her room to let her sleep it off as he throws her arm across his shoulder and walks her off. It happens more often than you think and it isn't just college girls. These types of crimes happen for all types of reasons including theft, victimization, and malicious acts of violence. In nearly all cases, alcohol is involved.
A growing trend in bars and clubs is to cover your drink but its not just in these settings. People on vacation and business travelers across the globe are getting in the practice of covering up their drinks in populated areas to prevent a possible drugging. The 3 things you can remember to avoid a drink spiking are:
- Always ask for unopened bottles.
- Watch the liquor being poured in front of you.
- Never accept drinks from unknown people.
We all want to have a good time and be the life of the party but when we exceed our limitations and start mixing alcohols, we end up paying for it later. It's best to pace yourself and set a limit for the amount of alcohol you plan to consume. You can still have a good time without going overboard.
A friendly reminder from
www.GuardYourDrink.com
About Us
Growing up in Southern California before moving to Colorado with his family in 1991, Lou Figueroa was an avid snowboarder and mountain biker who enjoyed the outdoors.
At the age of 27 while out with a group of friends in the downtown district of Denver, Lou encountered a beverage that was laced with an unknown substance becoming lost and disoriented. He walked nearly a mile before he was found lying in the Union Station rail yard. In the early hours of the morning a train was approaching the rail yard and saw Lou’s body at the last minute. The result would be the loss of both legs. After surviving a week long coma gripping to life, Lou awoke in the hospital.
Since his amputations, Lou has traveled across the globe sharing messages of hope and inspiration to hundreds of audiences including trade associations, chambers of commerce and universities.
Today, Lou lives in Los Angeles where he advocates for drink safety in social settings and alcohol awareness.
To learn more visit www.InspiredBalance.org