A date rape drug – GHB – is reportedly being used in the North Rand area.
Superintendent Eugene Opperman, police spokesperson for the area, said: “It’s a mixture of stuff… that when put into a drink causes sedation and amnesia.”
At the weekend three teenagers were found sprawled in an alley near a Benoni business. Two girls, aged 15 and 16, lay unconscious and twitching while a 17-year-old boy lay on his stomach nearby, vomiting.
All three were taken home to their parents, and although what they had taken was not determined there is a possibility that GHB might have been involved.
“These scenes are becoming far more common than ever before. The tell-tale signs of drug and alcohol abuse are almost always found,” Opperman said.
“But what worries the police most is the apparent lack of parental control in many instances, and sometimes also a total lack of interest shown by some parents in the well-being of their children.”
Opperman said that youngsters found under the influence of drugs or alcohol were generally taken home, and their parents would be advised to get help for their children.
“In cases where we find the kids in possession of drugs we can arrest them. But the courts would rather help them than prosecute, so we prefer to try to get families back together and work towards a solution rather than prosecute right away.”
Speaking about the new date rape drug, Opperman said crime intelligence operatives were trying to work out the extent of the problem.
“So far we know it’s something the older kids or even some adults like to use if they see a young girl they would like to bed. Once she has taken it they can take her away and drop her back later, and who would even know?” he said.
Opperman said the police would be starting an awareness campaign to educate children, parents and others about the dangers of drugs, and the need for good parental control and social responsibility.
Opperman urged parents to keep track of where their children are at all times, and what they do with their free time. He said attempts should be made to find out who their children’s friends are, and pocket money should be limited.