Many of my friends have been sending their kids to college. For many it’s their first time living away from home. On a recent edition of Fearless Fabulous You! former law enforcement officer, Steve Kardian, author of “The New Super Power for Women,” said that the period between September and Thanksgiving recess is when freshman females and returning sophomores are most vulnerable to sexual assault. In fact, an estimated one in four women (25% of college women) experience some form of sexual violence (rape, assault, physical force or incapacitation) during their four years of college.
Everyone wants to fit in and feel comfortable in a social situation. Sharing a cocktail or glass of wine among friends and enjoying with your meal is one thing. Over-indulging to the point of toxicity is another. Given what we have seen and read about alcohol- related campus assaults and deaths, it’s important for women to be smart about their surroundings, about what’s in their glass and how much they are consuming.
Here Five Tips for Safe Sips:
1. Think before you drink. If someone offers to buy you a drink, make sure you see the drink being made or poured from the actual bottle. Also, avoid drinking from a common punch bowl at a club or party or any shared container. (These tips are from Steve Kardian’s book “The New Super Power for Women.”)
2. Take skinny sips.The less you weigh the greater the impact alcohol can have on your system. One tip is to “nurse” one drink, slipping slowly, and say “no” to refills. And stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water to minimize the dehydrating effects of alcohol. My tip is to drink one 8 ounce glass of water for each glass of wine.
3. Fill your stomach before emptying your glass. Eat before you drink. Having food in your stomach slows down the absorption of alcohol.
4. When in doubt, dump it out. “Date rape” drugs go by many names; most are odorless and colorless or masked by the alcohol. Some may have a slight fizz, sediment or taste “off,” notes Kardian. You may start feeling queasy after a sip or two. If you have any doubt about a drink that has been poured for you, dump it out.
5. Have a buddy system. Friends do not leave an inebriated friend behind in a bar or a party, whether she’s alone or talking to man she just met. Never leave a friend who has had too much to drink even if she insists she’s OK. Make sure she gets home safely. Don’t let the guy say, “I’ll take care of getting her home.”
These tips are not just for young women. Anyone at any age can fall victim to a date rape drug. On another recent edition of Fearless Fabulous You! I spoke with entrepreneur, Sandy Stein, owner of Finder’s Keypurse, who shared her personal experience with a laced drink when she was in her 50s. She now offers a line of personal safety products, that include pepper spray, a mini alarm and a drink test kit that will test for GHB & Ketamine (two popular date rape drugs). Learn more here.
If you suspect someone is spiking yours or a friend’s drink or see it happening, speak up. Warn the woman. Notify the person in charge at the bar. Take the drink away and hold onto it as evidence. Call 911 or the police. This is unacceptable behavior. And it is a felony.
Don’t let a pretty drink become pretty deadly. Practice #safesips. When in doubt, dump it out. #FearlessFabulousYou
Don’t let a pretty drink become pretty deadly. When in doubt, dump it out. #practicesafesips. Photo credit: ID 4902878 © Eugene Bochkarev | Dreamstime
Listen to my show with Steve Kardian on women’s safety HERE
Listen to my show with Sandy Stein, Finders Keypurse HERE
