General Warning!

planner said:

I've recently been made aware of a North Shore area problem at night!

The date rape drug is being used in this area. I have confirmed that 4 different incidents have occured in the last 2 weeks. All 4 have occured in Playa Dorada at 3 different clubs/ discos.

3 were women and one was a male. It is not apparent if this was a specifically directed drugging or whether it was random.

This is 4 I have heard of. I personally know all 4 people so I can confirm the stories. Thankfully in all 4 cases they were with larger groups of people and their friends took them home and took care of them.

Please be careful. This has been reported to some of the Tour Operators, the police and the bars / discos of Playa Dorada.

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Thank you for bringing up that Darlene, it's something people visiting and living need to be aware of.

The would-be rapists have gotten ahold of Gamma hydroxy butyrate, which is more commonly referred to as GHB.

GHB is gamma butyrolactone and sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. In a nutshell, it is degreasing solvent mixed with Draino. Nasty stuff.

It is a clear liquid that, when placed in a drink, has no odor and no taste making it the most inconspicuous form of drugging for most assailants.

The effects include intoxication, increased energy, happiness, mild disinhibition, muscle relaxation, loss of coordination due to loss of muscle tone, nausea, difficulty concentrating, loss of gag reflex.

Most people have bad reactions. These can include nausea, headaches, drowsiness, dizziness, amnesia, vomiting, loss of muscle control, respiratory problems, loss of consciousness, being conscious but unable to move, and death, especially when combined with alcohol or other drugs.


It is all too easy for someone out at a club having a good time to become distracted and not pay careful attention to their surroundings at all times.

As Planner said - if you're reading this, please be careful! This includes men as well.

NEVER leave a drink unattended and you have nothing to worry about, make sure you see the bartender open the bottle of Presidente.

It's well known that the locals in Cancun, Mexico slip "mickeys" into vacationing college kids drinks. Spread the word and be careful

Tamborista said:

NEVER leave a drink unattended and you have nothing to worry about, make sure you see the bartender open the bottle of Presidente.

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And of course ... safety in numbers.


But make sure your "numbers" are trustworthy, not just some sankie you met the night before.

sunshine_79 said:

As Planner said - if you're reading this, please be careful! This includes men as well.

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To have this warning heeded, in addition to being a date-rape drug, you better call it a date-robbery drug also.

Ricardo900 said:

It's well known that the locals in Cancun, Mexico slip "mickeys" into vacationing college kids drinks. Spread the word and be careful

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Yes, this is becoming a problem in a lot of destinations

planner said:

Too true, the intent may not be to rape but rather to incapacitate for a variety of reasons!

It is spreading as more and more people attempt to take advantage of others. As they maybe get more desperate or have more access! It is a reality of our times and we need to be aware and take precautions.

Does anyone know how to deal with the after effects? IS there anything specific that should be done? Or, is it like flu, just wait it out?

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From personal experience...

There is no hangover in the world that can compare to the affter effects of GHB.

When I was stationed at Ft Bragg, I went to a party with some infantry guys I didn't know too well. I know, I know - stupid girl. I was young and naive, what can I say?

I don't have a lot of recollection of how I was feeling at the rave but remember having to drink a nasty bucket of charcoal in the ER that made me throw up. (Luckily, somone I knew well was at the same party and noticed that I was out of sorts and got me to an ER pronto).

I hate to think what would have happened if my "guardian angel" had not been there. Those guys could have done whatever they wanted to me.

I had the most God-awful headache for about three days afterwords along with a lot of nausea and vertigo. It was also difficut to swallow.

The strangest effect I had was the inability to read for almost a week. Anytime I looked at printed words, they were nothing but a blur.

Scary.

heard of two cases on Sosua beach during the last seven days.

sunshine_79 said:

From personal experience...

There is no hangover in the world that can compare to the affter effects of GHB.

When I was stationed at Ft Bragg, I went to a party with some infantry guys I didn't know too well. I know, I know - stupid girl. I was young and naive, what can I say?

I don't have a lot of recollection of how I was feeling at the rave but remember having to drink a nasty bucket of charcoal in the ER that made me throw up. (Luckily, somone I knew well was at the same party and noticed that I was out of sorts and got me to an ER pronto).

I hate to think what would have happened if my "guardian angel" had not been there. Those guys could have done whatever they wanted to me.

I had the most God-awful headache for about three days afterwords along with a lot of nausea and vertigo. It was also difficut to swallow.

The strangest effect I had was the inability to read for almost a week. Anytime I looked at printed words, they were nothing but a blur.

Scary.

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Sunnie, is this drug the same, a kind, or different from what is known to have in or under the nails and pour in drinks?
This was a huge problem at several local places, even here in Puerto Plata, about 1 1/2 year ago.
Many got really sick, described it as you did, and I remember hearing they were feeling bad for many days after.
Is this a different drug?

Interesting link on Roofie's

http://www.earthops.org/rohypnol.php

There are a few methods apparantly.
In some third world countries the bartenders actually sell it!

I wonder if the police have been advised, and if they even care.
This can't be good for tourism.
It's bad enough that you can't leave your sandals on the beach when you go for a swim, but if you have to keep a constant eye out on your drink, it kinda takes the "relaxation" out of "vacation".
I'd like to pour a whole bottle of Drano down the guy's throat who's doing this.

I would actually be warey of less than trustworthy "UBH's" targeting male tourists to rob, not rape.

carina said:

Sunnie, is this drug the same, a kind, or different from what is known to have in or under the nails and pour in drinks?
This was a huge problem at several local places, even here in Puerto Plata, about 1 1/2 year ago.
Many got really sick, described it as you did, and I remember hearing they were feeling bad for many days after.
Is this a different drug?

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The drug that has fallen into the wrong hands down here is GHB which is exactly what I had put in my drink back in 2001.

The most common form of GHB is the liquid form because it is odorless and virtually tasteless.

There is also a powdered form of GHB; the molecular structure is a tad different than the liquid form but the effects are almost identical.

The powder is what they cake underneath their fingernails.

Rocky said:

I wonder if the police have been advised, and if they even care.
This can't be good for tourism.
It's bad enough that you can't leave your sandals on the beach when you go for a swim, but if you have to keep a constant eye out on your drink, it kinda takes the "relaxation" out of "vacation".
I'd like to pour a whole bottle of Drano down the guy's throat who's doing this.

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My boyfriend has been working in Playa Dorada the last few nights, incognito. So have some of his colleagues. The police are aware of what's going on but this is an extremely difficult crime to anticipate or observe. Unfortunately, the crime goes unnoticed until the victim is already in trouble.

sunshine_79 said:

My boyfriend has been working in Playa Dorada the last few nights, incognito. So have some of his colleagues. The police are aware of what's going on but this is an extremely difficult crime to anticipate or observe. Unfortunately, the crime goes unnoticed until the victim is already in trouble.

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Go get'em, Sunny.
Call me up if you catch anyone and you need me to bring over my Drano supply.

I had this happen to me in Playa Dorada back in 1997, lucky for me my friend noticed I was over friendly and acting very strange (I was actually talking to sankies - something I never would do). And luckily I realzed someting was way off. She got me home and sat with me all night, we were not sure who did it but we had our suspicions.

Since I did not drink my whole drink it probably did not do with me what could happen to others, and I had a great friend who watched my back knew how I acted in public and what was and wasn't my character.

Since then gong out has meant one person in a group stays sober - not only to drive, but to watch out for the others in case one goes over board.

Happened to me - in Mangu

This happened to me on the last Saturday in October this year in Mangu in Playa Dorada. It also happened to a friend of mine who works and a rep a few weeks before.

I never left my drink unattended at any point. I was drinking cuba libre and I only had 2.5 drinks.

I have a very patchy memory of that night. Apparently I just upped and left the club all alone....which is NOT like me at all. Someone saw me getting into a cab on my own and alerted my friends who were looking for me. One of them came to my hotel room to check on me (I was staying at a hotel in town)....I have no idea how I made it back in one piece and with all of my belongings....they said that by the time they got to my hotel room I couldn't stand up. Apparently when I opened the door I fell over and couldn't stop throwing up.....and because I was crying so hard this affected my breathing. Nothing I was saying made sense (like being extremely drunk) and I was shaking as if I was cold.

I refused to be taken to the hospital - although looking back they should have MADE me go......and it took about a hour to calm me down and then I fell asleep.

When I woke the next day I couldn't remember a thing after leaving the club but I knew that something had happened.....I just didn't feel right - it wasn't a bad hangover feeling it was worse - hard to explain. Since then I have regained some of my memory - I have flashbacks where I can remember little bits of what happened but nothing fits together. Like I can remember falling over in the bathroom, being sick and not being able to get up again - but I can't remember my friend helping me up. I can't remember them arriving at the hotel but I can remember them calling various people on the phone to ask for advice.

That morning I had to leave early to catch my flight home from Santiago so I didn't have time to report anything in person however my friend reported this to the Playa Dorada police the next day.

I didn't feel like myself for at least 4 days after and I was was physically sick on both flights home. I went to the doctors in London as soon as I got back and they told me that it was most probably the date rape drug Ketamine....and that it is common to start regaining your memory of the night anywhere from one week up to months after the event.

As I said - I didn't leave my drink(s) unattended at any point - I wasn't there for very long - I believe that it must have been put into my drink at the time the drink was being made. I must admit I didn't pay too close attention to that bit, however I will make sure I do in future.

Please be careful - and make sure that you keep a close eye on whoever is making your drink as it's not only bottles that they are putting it in.

Daydream.