News outlets frequently report on instances when a person, usually a woman, but sometimes a man, was a victim of a sexual crime because she or he had been given drugs that rendered one unable to resist the person who committed the crime. Many times, because of these incidents, these drugs are referred to as “date rape” drugs.
Often, these drugs were obtained and/or used at a party or another venue that could be referred to as a “rave” or even a “club” party, even if the event happened somewhere else besides an actual club. For this reason, these drugs are also called “club” or “rave” drugs.
These occurrences can be considered as examples of “accidental” drug abuse. The victim may not have been aware that the drugs were given, or may have been offered the chance to take any available drugs, and had refused. Therefore, consuming the substance, whatever it was, was not intentional on the victim’s part.
When drug abuse does occur as a result of an incident such as that described above, sometimes it goes no further. The victim never uses drugs or at least those particular drugs again, especially if the experience was extremely unpleasant or a crime did occur.
Unfortunately, whether or not there is a repeat of drug abuse, drug detoxification must occur from the first encounter. And, in the case of some of the so-called “club” or “rave” drugs, this can be very hazardous to the health of the person who is undergoing drug detoxification.
For this reason, when a victim seeks medical attention for the attack that occurred, medical personnel will often seek to determine if drugs played a part, and, if so, what types of drugs may have been used. Thus armed with this knowledge, health care professionals can help a person through the period of drug detoxification.
They can do this by either giving a medication that will counteract the original drugs’ effects, or by admitting the person to the hospital for the length of time that drug detoxification is taking place. Once the episode has ended, and the person begins to physically improve, she or she is dismissed from the hospital.
If drug abuse, however, continues, whether as a result of the initial episode or for other reasons, then the victim is no longer considered as such, and needs to take steps to correct the situation before it worsens. That is where the information available at http://www.alcoholanddrugabuse.com/ or by calling 1-800-559-9503 can be of help.
