Police warn about spiked drinks at Boston bars

Boston Police today urged people to keep a close watch on their drinks at city bars after social media in recent days has begun to echo with reports of women possibly getting drugs put in their drinks.

The warning comes several months after police and the Boston Licensing Board warned bars to watch out for possible drink spiking and after a number of licensing-board hearings (see below) on incidents involving mostly women becoming disoriented or even blacking out after consuming drinks at local bars and clubs.

In response, a number of bars have taken steps to try to reduce the odds of their patrons getting slipped something in their drinks, including discarding drinks left on tables or counters or offering patrons cups with plastic covers.

Police urged people who think they've been drugged to contact police as soon as they can.

Additionally, the Boston Police Department would like to remind the public of the dangerousness of scentless, colorless and tasteless drugs such as Rohypnol, also known as roofie, being placed in the drinks of unsuspecting victims. Other drugs commonly used in a similar fashion are GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyric acid) or Ketamine. These drugs and substances can cause disorientation, confusion, temporary paralysis or unconsciousness along with a host of other symptoms, leaving the potential victim vulnerable to the intentions of the suspect.

BPD tips include not taking a drink from a stranger or letting him handle you drink; watch your drink at all times - and take it to the restroom with you if you have to go; cover your drink with your hand; buy some test strips or nail polish that can detect the presence of certain drugs in a drink; and seek help immediately if you start feeling odd.

Recent licensing-board hearings (in all cases, board has found the establishments were not to blame):

Roofie madness: Board hears four more cases of possible drink tampering, bars take steps, some ER docs not doing toxicology scans, 4/2722.
Three women think they got spiked drinks, but is a Lansdowne Street bartender to blame? 1/4/22.
Two nurses in for the night from Holyoke say they were slipped mickeys at a West End bar, 2/15/22.
Woman collapses after her drink might have been spiked at a South Boston bar; the sort of thing city officials have been warning about, 2/1/22