People in America often ask frequent travelers if they fear going to other countries. It’s kind of funny since the US has a relatively high crime rate. But society and the media builds up fear in people’s minds. The truth is that most of the world is pretty safe and few travelers ever run into real problems. That doesn’t mean there are no risks though. One of the real safety risks facing solo male travelers is getting their drink drugged.
You might think that women are most at risk of getting their drink drugged. There is no way to know that for sure, but that could be right. There are lots of stories of single women having their drinks spiked. Sometimes it leads to really bad stuff. You never what will happen when you are out of your mind on some kind of drug.
Still, guys are also at risk for having their drink drugged. Drink spiking isn’t super common but it does happen. When it happens to guys it can have dire consequences. Some guys who get dosed are robbed which is bad enough but other guys have suffered far worse fates after being slipped some Spanish Fly.
How common is drink spiking?
How common is drink spiking exactly? We don’t think there is really anyway to know for sure. There are plenty of reports of drink spiking on the internet. There are also articles that claim drink spiking is very common. The Telegraph calls it “Britian’s Hidden Epidemic.” Advocate Health Care cites a study that says 1 in 13 women have had their drinks spiked in America. A popular travel scam television show even ran a segment about drink drugging.
The truth is that most people don’t ever have their drink drugged no matter how often they travel. The millions of people who travel without problem don’t write about their experiences much. People tend to write something when they have a problem. People tend to read attention grabbing stuff too. Would you read a boring uneventful travelogue? Would you read a warning about travel dangers? We already know the answer to that since you are here.
Drink spiking around the world
One thing is clear. Drink spiking is more common in some parts of the world than others. We hear the most reports about people having their drinks drugged in Eastern Europe and Latin America. But as you saw above, it is also something that happens in America and England.
In Eastern Europe we hear stories about women on the streets or in rip-off strip clubs drugging guys. Sometimes, they slip a drug into a guy’s drink in public then walk them to an ATM machine or back to the guy’s room. Other times they wait until their in the room to do the drugging.
Colombia also seems to be a particular hot spot for drinking spiking. Although the violent crime rate in Colombia has vastly decreased in recent years, there is still a lot of crime in the country. Locals will even tell you to avoid certain places at certain times. That’s not exactly what you call “safe.”
Most people who travel to Colombia have no problems. But some guys have reportedly been drugged and robbed. They are usually drugged by women or their accomplices only to wake up with a lot of stuff missing much later.
That doesn’t mean drink spiking doesn’t happen elsewhere. Recently there have been reports on the internet about solo male travelers being drugged and raped in Siem Reap, Cambodia. That’s really crazy and something any guy might worry about. Last year a foreigner passed out in the capital Phnom Penh and was assumed to have been drugged. There’s no word that he was violated, thankfully.
How to protect yourself from drink spiking
After reading all of this, you want to know how to protect yourself from drink spiking. Rightfully so. No one wants to have their drink drugged. No one deserves to be a victims of that kind of crime either. Still, it is a risk and you should take steps to keep yourself safe.
It might sound stupid but the surest way to protect yourself from drink spiking is not to let anyone touch your drink! It really is as simple as that. You should keep your drink in your sight at all times.
Sure, someone has to make your drink. And you don’t want to be a total dick to people around you either. Treating a woman you just met as a potential criminal is no way to get her into bed or a relationship. But that doesn’t mean you should leave a half empty beer bottle on the bar when you go to take a piss in an unfamiliar Eastern European strip club. Especially if you were just joined by a stunning beauty who just happens to want to get to know you!
Travel safely but have fun
As we said earlier, most people travel without issue. Millions and millions of people go on holiday every year with no trouble. Regular business travelers and nomads seem to have even less problems. So you don’t have to be scared or anything. Just keep your wits about you.
You don’t have to be paranoid when traveling, even if you’re having some drinks. In most cases no one wants to mess with you or your drink. But taking at least some precautions and being aware of your surroundings can’t hurt at all. It can help keep you safe, and maybe even save your life.
