The report from Blair Thomson in yesterday's Border Mail is enough to make any parent - no, any decent human - shudder.
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The thought of someone ingesting some filthy chemical concoction cooked up in a dirty backyard laboratory is bad enough at the best of times, but at least it's a case of "buyer beware" if they've willingly made that decision to take illegal drugs.
What's infinitely worse is that there are sickening people out there who are "spiking" unwitting victims' drinks with these hideous substances.
Worryingly, Victorian police told The Border Mail there has been an increase in the dangerous practice in recent years.
The statistics reveal that four out of five drink-spiking victims are female, about half of them are under 24, and up to 30 per cent of those who report the matters to police say they have been sexually assaulted.
It would be easy to think this type of behaviour is restricted to the big cities but, sadly, it's prevalent right here on our doorstep.
Wangaratta woman Felicity Ramsay - along with her parents Katrina and Hamish - have bravely spoken out following the horror of their ordeal in the North East rural city.
The perpetrators of these crimes clearly have no regard for the consequences of their actions. The now 20-year-old Ms Ramsay was sick for days after her drink was spiked with GHB, an ordeal which left her in "respiratory distress" and "violently vomiting".
Ms Ramsay was unable to drive down the street where the incident occurred for months and has anxieties about drinking, saying it's left "a massive mark" on her.
There have also been reports of drink spiking in Albury in recent weeks, with one mother telling The Border Mail her daughter stopped breathing multiple times and, as a result, "won't be going out for a long time".
It's a travesty that people - mostly women - feel unsafe and unable to enjoy a night out with friends because of the predatory behaviour of cowards who spike drinks.
We all need to look out for each other and be vigilant because women, and everyone else, should be able to enjoy a night out without getting their drink spiked.
Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your weekend.
