Women advised to go to pubs and parties with trusted friends amid Police drink spiking warning

Female pub goers have been advised to take trusted friends with them when they go to pubs so that they can watch each other’s drinks.

The warning came after New Zealand Police said they had received report of two incidents of drink spiking this week.

Two women drank only small amounts of alcohol, but both suffered spiked drink side-effects, like dizziness, memory loss and numbness. One of them was violently ill the next day, Police said.

Makalita Kolo, a Tongan staff at Mangere Electorate Office, said women should go with friends they trusted to pubs and parties so they could look out for each other’s drinks, especially when some of them were on dance floor or away from where their own drinks are.

“Don’t accept drinks offered by people you don’t know,” Kolo said.

“Be vigilant and be safe this Christmas.”

Detective Sergeant Gary Milligan of Palmerston North police warned the city’s party goers to keep an eye out for drink tampering over the New Year’s Eve festive season.

He urged people to buy their own drinks, be wary of accepting beverages from strangers and watch their drinks being poured at the bar.

“If your drink looks cloudy, changes in colour or doesn’t taste right, then don’t drink it,” he said.

Another Police spokesman said it only took a minute or a second to drop in an aspirin-sized pill, some powder or a few drops of liquid into a drink.

“If you are in a noisy pub or club or at a party you probably wouldn’t notice, especially if you have been drinking,” the spokesman said.

“The effects of these drugs can start in 10 to 20 minutes – you could feel dizzy, sleepy, uninhibited, relaxed and open to suggestion.

This is when you can be at risk of rape and sexual assault. Later, as the effects peak, you might be unconscious and not able to defend yourself or even remember what happened.”

The main points

  • Female pub goers have been advised to take trusted friends with them when they go to pubs so that they can watch each other’s drinks.
  • The warning came after New Zealand Police said they had received reports of two incidents of drink spiking this week.
  • Makalita Kolo, a Tongan staff at Mangere Electorate Office, said women should not accept drinks from people they didn’t know.
  • “Be vigilant and be safe this Christmas,” Kolo said.

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