# Victims claims of being "drugged" with roofies vs simply drinking to excess **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 19, 2009, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/victims-claims-of-being-drugged-with-roofies-vs-simply-drinking-to-excess/514343 "2009-10-19T16:06:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/victims-claims-of-being-drugged-with-roofies-vs-simply-drinking-to-excess/514343/41 "2009-10-21T02:51:54Z")
> [@astro](#): > > I have no doubt that roofies have been used in private settings to molest unconsious women, it’s the claimed level of public venue drugging that seems a lot more implausible for reasons I’ve already stated upthread. From my own annecdotal college and 20-something experience, plenty of girls unintentionally drink themselves stupid with no additional help. Especially if they aren’t big drinkers in the first place. There has been many a time I’ve been with a girl thinking I was going to get some only to have those 5 shots she did awhile ago suddenly kick in and end up having to take care of her or at least tuck her in and call it a night (since I’m not a complete scumbag). I’m a 195 lb man and I’ve occassionally had those nights of irrational exuberance so imagine how frequent it could happen to a 115 lb sorority girl. Plus it’s pretty freakin ballsy to roofie someone’s drink in a crowded bar or party. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/victims-claims-of-being-drugged-with-roofies-vs-simply-drinking-to-excess/514343/42 "2009-10-21T16:38:06Z")
> [@filling\_pages](#): > > I have to suspect that someone is not being honest if a dozen of your close friends have been drugged this way. It seems like a lot, but none of them have reason to lie as they didn’t make fools of themselves or need some sort of cover story. As I mentioned, three were bartenders (two female, one male) who have worked at both bars and huge clubs in a college town. At least one has witnessed a guy drugging a drink that wasn’t his (she had him kicked out, but his dozen or so buddies remained). The thing is, it belonged to a girl he hadn’t even been talking to. Unless he was planning on chatting her up immediately after and convincing her to go to the bathroom or outside, he was basically wasting GHB, which makes me think he either had a bunch (though it doesn’t take much) or it was some sort of game. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/victims-claims-of-being-drugged-with-roofies-vs-simply-drinking-to-excess/514343/43 "2009-10-21T16:44:57Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > It seems like a lot, but none of them have reason to lie as they didn’t make fools of themselves or need some sort of cover story. As I mentioned, three were bartenders (two female, one male) who have worked at both bars and huge clubs in a college town. At least one has witnessed a guy drugging a drink that wasn’t his (she had him kicked out, but his dozen or so buddies remained). The thing is, it belonged to a girl he hadn’t even been talking to. Unless he was planning on chatting her up immediately after and convincing her to go to the bathroom or outside, he was basically wasting GHB, which makes me think he either had a bunch (though it doesn’t take much) or it was some sort of game. I don’t get it. I am always confused by irrational behaviour, and this is irrational behaviour. Why would you commit a highly illegal act for no gain? Or is the simple gain of seeing the lady behome incoherent enough? Why would you drug a bartender, again what would you have to gain? This is not to say it didn’t happen, just that it confuses the hell out of me. And also, please remember that the idea “they had nothing to cover up” doesn’t mean they aren’t wrong (wow, too many negatives there?). They can be genuinely mistaken. Sure they are experienced drinkers, but even experienced drinkers can be hit unexpectedly hard. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/victims-claims-of-being-drugged-with-roofies-vs-simply-drinking-to-excess/514343/44 "2009-10-22T15:15:32Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I didn’t even realize it was possible to survive a BAC of .31 . I met a lady who managed a DUI and was tested at .34. She was still alive 2 years later. “I started drinking, 'cuz my husband told me I wasn’t allowed to drink that night…” ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/victims-claims-of-being-drugged-with-roofies-vs-simply-drinking-to-excess/514343/45 "2009-10-22T16:07:31Z")
How do people even get these drugs? They don’t seem like something that would be casually prescribed to anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/victims-claims-of-being-drugged-with-roofies-vs-simply-drinking-to-excess/514343/46 "2009-10-22T16:22:05Z")
My own opinion is that I would be very surprised if it didn’t happen. Even if it started as an urban legend, potential would-be rapists would be just as convinced of its reality as those fearing to be victims, and presumably some at least would try to imitate the legend as a good ‘method’. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/victims-claims-of-being-drugged-with-roofies-vs-simply-drinking-to-excess/514343/47 "2009-10-22T16:23:50Z")
> [@SmackFu](#): > > How do people even get these drugs? They don’t seem like something that would be casually prescribed to anyone. Some of them like GBH are “party drugs” some people do anyway for fun. They get them the same way they get other illegal drugs. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/victims-claims-of-being-drugged-with-roofies-vs-simply-drinking-to-excess/514343/48 "2009-10-22T16:24:45Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > My own opinion is that I would be very surprised if it didn’t happen. Even if it started as an urban legend, potential would-be rapists would be just as convinced of its reality as those fearing to be victims, and presumably some at least would try to imitate the legend as a good ‘method’. This does happen. Folklorists call it “ostension.” ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/victims-claims-of-being-drugged-with-roofies-vs-simply-drinking-to-excess/514343/49 "2009-10-27T21:06:52Z")
A new paper was written about this recently: [http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iw1tawiRxeR66WylZFkThzigTFAQ](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iw1tawiRxeR66WylZFkThzigTFAQ) > [@](#): > > Young women who fear their drinks have been spiked on a night out have often just consumed too much alcohol, academics have said. > > Researchers from the University of Kent found the students mistakenly linked sickness, blackouts and dizziness to poisoning by a stranger - when it was likely to be caused by excessive alcohol consumption. > > They also found evidence of “active denial” that it was drinking too much that left students “incoherent and incapacitated”. There’s a thread about this going on at Jezebel and of course every other comment seems to be that denying that date rape drugs are common is misogyny and stuff like, “I know I was drugged because I just do even though I wasn’t tested.” ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/victims-claims-of-being-drugged-with-roofies-vs-simply-drinking-to-excess/514343/50 "2009-10-27T21:34:36Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > This does happen. Folklorists call it “ostension.” Heh cool. I never knew there was a term for it. But yeah, wanna be rapists will be drawn in by the hype as much as everyone else - though as others have said, I’ll be willing to bet that the vast majority are simply drinking a lot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/victims-claims-of-being-drugged-with-roofies-vs-simply-drinking-to-excess/514343.md?page=2)