Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

FAU students learn the dangers of roofies at “Club FAU”

A normally quiet corner of the Jupiter campus was transformed into a simulated “Club FAU” on Wednesday, Sept. 16, to teach students the dangers of date-rape drugs.

Flashing lights, dance music and a refreshments counter allowed students to kick back and have fun after a busy day of classes. But underneath this supposedly relaxed atmosphere lurked a harsh reality. Among the group of dancing students were two volunteers, armed with Tic-Tacs, keeping an eye out for unattended drinks.

Students who left their drinks unattended soon found themselves with a minty surprise floating in their beverage.

The event was held as part of FAU’s Safety Week in order to teach students about the dangers of leaving drinks unattended. Individuals whose drinks fell victim to the minty threat were sent over to a waiting campus police officer for a simulated sobriety test.

Not even the event’s organizers were safe. Sophomore Isabel Griffin, a pre-med biochemistry major, was one of the volunteers, or plants, slipping “roofies” into drinks.

“My favorite one that I ‘roofied’ so far would be [Student Clubs and Recreation Head Adam Ferrarro],” Griffin said. “It was kind of amazing [that] Adam himself was ‘roofied.’ So, you should learn not to set down drinks. It’s the golden rule.”

So, what should FAU students learn from all of this? The most important message from this experiment is to always keep an eye on your beverage while at social gatherings, especially while out on your own.

The two plants at “Club FAU” were indistinguishable from any other partygoers and had some unexpected ways of slipping their “roofies” into unattended drinks. Isabel claimed that she was able to unload a “roofie” into a drink unnoticed while pretending to hang out in front of the refreshment table, avoiding suspicion all the while.

The simple act of leaving your beverage on a counter could cause a lot of trouble for you in the long run. Beyond the obvious implications of being slipped a sedative, there are also potentially fatal side effects associated with roofies, especially when unknowingly consumed in large doses. However, all of this can be easily avoided simply by keeping an eye on your beverage.

“Club FAU” was hosted as part of a week-long series of safety awareness events held at the Boca, Broward, Jupiter and Treasure Coast campuses. More information and a full schedule of events may be found at www.fau.edu/safetymonth/index.php.

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