As the director and a 5-year employee of the Rape Education and Crisis Hotline, I have only too often heard of the use of “date rape drugs.”

The most frequently used drug to facilitate sexual assault is alcohol.

I have personally spent hours on the hotline with callers and hours in emergency rooms with victims/survivors who have been assaulted where date rape drugs have been involved.

Oxford County is not immune to drugs that are used to facilitate sexual assault. The drugs known as Ecstasy, Roofies and GHB are in our towns and are being used.

Everyone must be educated on the side effects, watch out for each other and learn not to accept open drinks from anyone except the server.

It is our hope that bartenders and servers are educated on drugs used to facilitate sexual assault. Drink testing strips and coasters that quickly change color when a drop of a drink containing a date rape drug fall onto them are available.

We should not fool ourselves into thinking that because we live in a small community we are immune to big city problems. Everyone could benefit from a reminder that alcohol and club drugs, while viewed by many as recreational, pose a serious risk and are used by predators to lure and sexually assault others.

This criminal behavior is perpetrated against women and men.

The impact can be devastating to all victims, regardless of gender.

Shari Smith, executive director

REACH, Norway


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