As students return to college campuses, the Drink Safely Miami campaign is working to remind students of the dangers associated with drink spiking and provide education and preventative measures to the community.
According to a study conducted by the University of South Carolina, Columbia, roughly 1 in 13 college students have reported having their drink spiked during their time in college. In the same survey, four out of five individuals reported negative outcomes from being drugged, such as sexual assault, blacking out and being sick.
The Drink Miami Safely campaign, leverages social media ads and the website drinksafely.miami with the goal to raise awareness of the dangers associated with drink spiking and is a partnership between the Del Rey family and the Miami-based non-profit Survivors’ Pathway. The initiative was launched in April 2023, in recognition of National Alcohol Awareness Month, and the website has received thousands of visits to date.
The campaign has been featured in Florida International University’s Caplin News. The FIU story can be seen here: https://caplinnews.fiu.edu/
Drink spiking refers to the addition of alcohol or drugs to someone’s beverage without their knowledge or consent and is often undertaken with the intent of facilitating assault or theft. Date rape drugs are usually colorless, flavorless and odorless. Most people think drink spiking is mostly prevalent at bars and nightclubs, but this is wrong. Close to half of all spiked drinks happen during house parties, where people usually let down their guard as they feel safer than at a bar or nightclub.
“As young people return to college campuses and begin going out to parties and bars, we need them to be vigilant so they can have fun and stay safe,” said Francesco Duberli, Chief Executive Officer of Survivors’ Pathway, a non-profit organization that provides support to victims of various kinds of abuse. “Drink spiking is a very serious concern for our organization, as it could lead to violence, abuse, kidnapping and even human trafficking.”
Symptoms of date rape drugs include difficulty breathing, appearing intoxicated after consuming small amounts of alcohol (or none at all), loss of bowel or bladder control, nausea, sudden body temperature changes (sweating or chattering teeth are common signs of this), dizziness and disorientation and difficulty focusing your vision and attention. If you think someone has drugged you or a friend, call 911 or go to a hospital emergency room.
The campaign comprises a series of social media advertisements targeting areas where young people gather, including college and university campuses, bars, restaurants, and nightclubs throughout Miami-Dade. The ads provide important information on how to stay safe and what actions to take if one suspects their drink has been tampered with. Additionally, the ads direct viewers to the campaign’s website, drinksafely.miami, where they can find more comprehensive information on drink spiking and preventative measures.
To learn more, visit drinksafely.miami, and the social media channels on Instagram, Twitter and Face