Robert,
You are correct. Drink spiking was mainly alcohol poisoning, and many of the exotic drinks that women drink at bars such as cocktails have very high alcohol content, and some also have very high sugar content.

Have a few of those, and a women could easily become ill. As for the rape drug, apparently it may not be available in Australia at all.

As for sexual assault, it is whatever someone wants to say it is.

Briar rose,
If someone is involved in Workplace Health and Safety, they quickly learn that education programs are not that effective in improving safety.

Instead of attempting to educate someone to drink less, it is much better to simply have low alcohol content drinks. (EG Someone could drink 20 xxxx Gold stubbies and still not be drunk)

Due to the damage that alcohol causes, it would be better for government to simply regulate the alcohol content in drinks.

As for educating men, why should men take any notice of someone in the education system, when there are people in the system who regard men as “established failures”.

Or why should they take any notice of feminists when they have lied and exaggerated so much.

I can't beleive binge drinking is that much different from generation to generation.
I can't beleive the drinking antics me and my friends, male and female, for sheer imbecility and excess, have been exceeded and back then (late sixties to early seventies) with road tolls three times higher than now, we lost several friends to prangs at different times. But this drink spiking thing sure has a bad reputation.
I don't drink myself, but have a mate who is involved with the Gov Hindmarsh pub in Adelaide, a good live music venue.
Once or twice I've noticed the voracious attempts of bar staff to haul off my squash when my back's turned for more than second and when I finally commented on this, he said, "It's not because they're over enthusiastic but because the law asks it, because of drink spiking".
For what it's worth, I think drink spiking is gutless, too.
It's also the sort of smart arse thing that would appeal to a certain type of young bloke, but I think as one gets older one realises that if one wants this sort of raunch, the apt place would be a morgue rather than at the expense of a girl or woman who could get pregnant through such a stunt.

Robert, I can see why you and Vanna like this article.
I can't change my view of it though.

Briar Rose, it is nothing personal, but I still feel the same way.
I had trouble finding official info on 2003 crime statistics, so I doubt either of us could confidently comment on the latest alcohol-related crime statistics.

When we have more successful convictions for sexual assault of any kind, instead of the genuine victims not finding any justice in the majority of cases, maybe I will shut up.

It is predominantly the few nasty men in our world who have to take 'responsibility' for the way they act, rather than the women.

I think I had better leave this thread now before the rest of you set up a posse to run me out of town :(

Suzeonline, it would be tragic if you were to depart the scene at this stage given that you have made an input in a largely sensible discussion about serious issues.
I think there has been a mix up.
Wilson doesn't think woman should have to carry the can for male violence. I really seriously doubt that she would expect men who act like cretins to avoid treatment and/ or punishment when it spill s over into violence, through whatever it is that ails them, usually at a young age.
All she's suggesting is that women- for their own sakes- if such men exist as you claim and we well know they do-keep their eyes open, much as they would if crossing a road.
Any how, I thought the thread topic was to do with media exploitation of sexual violence for purposes of titillation and circulation, which keeps young passions ramped up, and I agree with Wilson that tabloid media does utterly NOTHING to help deal with raunch culture, on the contrary it encourages it, regardless of harm done to anyone "out here".

RObert and Houlley, yep...drink spiking is not just using drugs but alcohol. When I was a young chickadee, it was spiking your orange juice or coke with vodka - I don't recall any drugs around in the 70s or early 80s (not spiking related anyhow).

One of my teachers said to all of us at a Year 12 party to always get your own unopened drink and stay with it, if you have to leave it unattended throw it away and start again. Good advice even now.

I actually had a girlfriend do this to me once at Uni, thinking it was funny to 'make' a teetotaller (at the time) drink alcohol unawares. Nothing bad happened but such is the folly of youth.

I agree binge drinking is a problem requiring much greater damage control than drink spiking overall. Some ingenious scientist may yet come up with a soft drink additive that makes pharmaceutical type drugs turn bright pink or yellow - that would be a good invention.

suzeonline please don't go.