Women warned to be on lookout for date rape drug

Police are warning Red Deer-area women to watch out for the date rape drug after large quantities of it were seized from a vehicle stopped along Hwy 2, near Innisfail.

For the first time, there’s evidence the drug is being sold locally, said Cpl. Kathe DeHeer, of Red Deer City RCMP. “We’ve long suspected that we have it here” — based on females alleging they felt much drunker than they should have, based on their alcohol consumption, and having no memories of an encounter, said DeHeer.

“But this is the first seizure of its kind in the region.”

Police have charged a 28-year-old Red Deer man with drug possession and trafficking after pulling over a car for a routine traffic violation on Wednesday in the northbound lanes of Hwy 2 near Innisfail.

A search of the vehicle by RCMP Provincial Traffic Services discovered various quantities of illegal drugs, including 460 doses of gamma hydroxybutyric acid or G.H.B., as well as ketamine, cocaine and crystal meth.

DeHeer said G.H.B and ketamine are, like rohypnol, known as date rape drugs, which can be added to someone’s drink to cause them to become incapacitated and forgetful.

“I find it really disturbing that somebody could slip something into someone’s drink for the purpose of sexually assaulting them and rendering them defenceless,” said DeHeer, who fears unsuspecting women ­— especially those in night clubs — will be victimized.

Besides the danger of being sexually assaulted, she added there’s a risk of serious illness or death from the drug, depending on the dose and how the drug is made. G.H.B is concocted out of various household chemicals, such as toilet bowl cleaners.

“It’s a chemical reaction of three or four chemicals. If it’s too strong, you can overdose and it can lead to death.”

According to the police, G.H.B. is a colourless, odourless liquid that’s virtually tasteless. It takes 15-minutes to take affect and can debilitate someone for up to four hours. Symptoms include drowsiness, blackouts, a dream-like feeling, vision problems, and memory loss.

Ketamine is very fast-acting and can produce symptoms of feeling of having an out-of-body experience, loss of control, impaired motor function, and loss of co-ordination.

To protect themselves, DeHeer advises women to never leave their drinks unattended in public places, such as nightclubs, or at parties. Don’t accept drinks from other people, or finish drinks that have been left unattended.

She advises women to go out with a group of friends and leave with the same group, always looking out for one another.

If someone is feeling drunker than they should for the amount of alcohol that’s been consumed, then DeHeer advises seeking help immediately.

If anyone sees somebody adding a liquid, powder, or pill to a drink, they should call the police, she added.

Red Deer City RCMP have only recently added sexual assaults to their list of weekly crime statistics, so DeHeer has no idea yet, whether assaults have increased.

Police have charged Marty Dickson, 28, of Red Deer, with two counts of possession of illegal drugs for the purpose of trafficking, two counts of trafficking, and three counts of possession of a controlled substance.

Dickson was released to appear in Red Deer Provincial Court on May 25.

lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com