Pubdate: Tue, 10 Jun 2003
Source: Waikato Times (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2003 Independent Newspapers Limited
Contact:  http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/index/0,1008,0a1600,FF.html
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/486
Author: Steve Hopkins
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?158 (Club Drugs)

ADS HIGHLIGHT DRUG RAPISTS DANGER

Police have launched a national education campaign about drink spiking and 
drug rape.

The campaign began with a series of three TV and cinema adverts and will 
continue until the end of the month.

The campaign was launched in Hamilton yesterday by police and Labour MP 
Dianne Yates.

Ms Yates has been working with the New Zealand Drug Rape Trust to 
reclassify the drugs used by drug rapists and to tighten up the laws around 
consent.

The first advertisement shows a busy bar scene where a man sneakily drops a 
pill into a drink while reaching for a straw.

In the second a man puts a clear liquid into a woman's cocktail as she 
answers her cellphone.

The third shows a scenario where two men buy a woman a drink and one is a 
drug rapist. The woman is confused about which drink to choose when "Buy 
your own drink", flashes on the screen.

The advertisements are the second stage of a public awareness campaign 
which began early last year.

In May, Hamilton police went into bars and gave out flyers warning people 
about drink spiking and asking those with information about the crime to 
contact them.

An 0800 phone line was set up and rewards offered for information leading 
to an arrest.

In 2002 there were 22 reported cases of drink spiking in Hamilton.

Four of the victims claimed they were sexually violated.

This year 13 women have complained to police; three of them claim to have 
been sexually violated.

The last complaint was made on April 13 by a 22-year-old Hamilton woman who 
claimed her drink was spiked at a bar on Alexandra St, Hamilton.

The woman told police she left her drink unsupervised for a short time and 
after returning to it became sick. She was taken home by a friend a short 
time later.

Police have made no arrests in relation to the drink spiking offences.

Detective Senior Sergeant Russell Le Prou said police considered the crime 
particularly vile and urged people with information to contact them.

Ms Yates said women who believed their drinks had been spiked should 
contact police immediately because the drugs used disappeared from the 
bloodstream within 12 hours.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager