Alcohol is the most common date rape drug!

During the summer months we want to highlight the potential dangers of excessive alcohol to young women to try and reduce the number of sexual assaults . 

The number of young women that are victims of serious sexual offences whilst drunk is a big concern for us.

We would like to ask young women to take note of the following tips if they are partying this summer:

• Remember alcohol is the most common date rape drug
• Don’t drink so much that you are unable to say NO!
• Stay away from situations which make you feel uncomfortable
• Always pre-book a taxi through a licensed mini-cab office

We also wish to reinforce the message that was launched last summer:  ‘Rapists are not always strangers’ – to young women. A key fact of this campaign was that in 80% of reported rapes, the victim had already met their attacker. 

Assistant Chief Constable Debbie Simpson said: “We know that some young women get very drunk and go home with someone they meet on a night out.

“We want young women to be aware that in a small number of cases the decision to go home with someone after a drunken night out could lead to them being raped.

“At least six out of ten rapes happen in a house or flat. It is more likely that a rapist is someone that the victim may have met and gone home with on a drunken night out rather than a stranger in a dark alleyway.

“If you drink sensibly, then you are much more likely to be aware of potential dangers to your safety.”

Forensic Science Service, Toxicology expert, Mike Scott-Ham comments: “Drink spiking is extremely rare.

Over the past 10 years, we have analysed thousands of samples of blood and urine from alleged 'date-rape' victims and have only come across one which contained Rohypnol and only two samples with GHB from instances of genuine 'spiking', despite use of 'Rohypnol' being detectable in urine samples taken 3 or 4 days after ingestion."

If you have been sexual assaulted or raped

You can report to the police seven days a week, 24 hours a day. You can also seek help or advice from other services such as sexual assault referral centres (SARCs), counsellors, sexual health centres (GU clinics), your GP, hospital, Victim Support, Rape Crisis and the Survivors Trust. For more information, please visit our where to get help section