How to detect a drink that has been mixed with an anesthetic: function, dosage, side effects, how to use it

The drug-laced drinking phenomenon is a real problem, one that is often overlooked. Every year, around the world, thousands of people are thought to be victims of poisoned drinks, where drugs or alcohol are added to someone's drink without knowing it.

Drinks are laced with anesthetic for some reason. This includes material to joke about or to facilitate criminal intent. The amnesic effect of the drug allows the perpetrator to rob, rape, or otherwise harm the victim without the victim being able to remember exactly what happened. This mode of anesthesia can occur in nightclubs, bars, at parties, even in crowded public places.

More incidents occurred during long holidays or were not reported due to embarrassment of carelessness or memory loss.

What anesthetics are usually mixed with drinks?

Anesthetics may come in powder, tablet, or liquid form, and do not always have a specific taste or smell.

Some examples of drugs that have been reported to have been used to sedate drinks include: GHB, Ketamine, ethanol, and Rohypnol (although they are rarely used now because of the addition of blue dyes).

Alcohol

Alcohol is the most common drug used to sedate drinks. Usually, alcohol is added to non-alcoholic drinks or adds a higher concentration of alcohol to alcoholic drinks to make your drink stronger than you realize.

Don't assume you can always taste alcohol in your drink. If you drink sweet or have a strong taste the taste of alcohol can be masked well.

Depressant drugs

Depressants, especially sedatives, can be used to sedate drinks. This medicine is usually used to make the body weak or help someone fall asleep. Combined with alcohol they can have a very powerful effect.

This medication may cause you to feel very drunk and unable to remember some or all of the events that occurred after you were sedated. Medicinal effects can start within 15 to 30 minutes, and can last up to eight hours or more. This depends on the amount used and how much you have been drinking.

GHB (gammahydroxybutrate)

Aliases: liquid ecstasy, GEEBS, GBL, GBH, 4-BD

This clear, salty liquid is easy to make at home. GHB acts as a muscle relaxant and causes short-term amnesia when added to alcoholic beverages. GHB produces euphoric feelings while reducing alertness. Effects start after about 10 minutes to an hour and can last up to seven hours or more.

The effects of GHB include hallucinations, extreme drowsiness, vomiting, seizures, and short-term sudden unconsciousness or coma. GHB is a dangerous drug on its own. Mixed with alcohol, the harmful effects are much stronger. GHB can literally knock you out, which is why it is often used as a "date rape drug" to carry out sexual assaults on victims.

Ketamine

Ketamine has a white powdery texture, and is often used to sedate animals. Ketamine can cause short-term amnesia and catatonic conditions (a stiff, immobile position for long periods of time). The effects of the drugs don't last long, but until they wear off, ketamine can cause loss of sensation in the body and paralysis of muscles. This medication may also cause you to experience reality distortion / hallucinations. You can be 'drunk' half an hour to several hours after being sedated, and the after-effects will last for several hours after the drug has flushed out of your system.

How do you know which drink is laced with anesthetic?

You may not realize whether or not your drink has been sedated by simply examining its color, smelling, or tasting. The substances used to anesthetize drinks are often colorless, odorless, and do not change the original taste of your drink. Some medications, such as GHB, may taste a little salty or smell strange.

The symptoms of an anesthetic depend on many factors such as the ingredients or mixture of substances used, the dosage, size and weight, and the type and / or how many drinks you have taken, including:

• Decreased alertness
• Difficulty speaking or focusing
• Loss of balance and difficulty moving
• Vision problems, especially blurred vision or hallucinations, or having an "out of body experience"
• Nausea and vomiting
• Loss of memory (amnesia) or unconsciousness
• Feeling sick or very drowsy
• Feeling very drunk, even if you only drink a little alcohol
• Confusion and disorientation, especially after waking up (if you fell asleep) and experiencing a void of memory about what happened before
• Paranoia (fear or distrust of others)
• Unconsciousness

The symptoms above are similar to those of a hangover, but if you start feeling strange or more drunk than you should, get help right away. However, if you pass out it will be difficult to know the full effect of the anesthesia. You may still feel some symptoms from the anesthetic after a night's sleep.

What should I do if I suspect that my drink has an anesthetic agent on it?

Whatever you do, don't ignore your situation because you feel embarrassed.

If you can, take and store your drink for evidence by the police.

Tell people you can fully trust, for example:

• Close friends or family
• Manager of the club / bar where you are partying
• Security staff
• Professional medical personnel
• Police

If you are not with anyone, call someone you can trust and go to a safer place immediately. Ask to use the phone, if your phone is stolen. Be careful accepting help from strangers and don't leave the place with someone you don't know.

Ask a trusted friend or family member to take you home and stay with you until the anesthesia wears off completely.

Report it to the police as soon as possible. They will need to take blood and urine samples. Most drugs will leave the body's system within 1 × 72 hours of first ingestion - GHB will dissolve within the first 12 hours - so it's important to get tested immediately.

Do not accept drinks from strangers and never leave your drinks unattended.