A Victorian mother has called for authorities to do more to help alleged victims of a drunken hit after her daughter became seriously ill.
Key points:
- The mother of a young Ballarat nurse says her daughter has been hit with alcohol twice in five years
- Grampians Health says it has seen an increase in possible cases since May this year
- The rise of drinking in Australia is under-reported, but women are more likely to be targeted than men
Anne* said her daughter believed she was spiked at a music festival the first time she was 18.
Two weeks ago, the nurse, now 23, went out for drinks with friends, texting her mother throughout the night with regular updates.
“It was around midnight when I got a phone call from my daughter’s friends who had called an ambulance,” Anne said.
Not long after that call, Anne was told that her daughter was throwing up excessively and could not stand upright.
The young woman was taken by ambulance to the Ballarat Base Hospital emergency service because her breathing was compromised.
“She was then treated with fluids but no blood was taken [to test for substances] because we were told it was a police matter,” Anne said.
“We were also told by both the nurses and the doctor at the hospital that they had six other girls present that night with the same symptoms.
Victorian mum Anne wants to see more done to stop drinking. (Supplied)
“When we went to the police to report what happened, they told us that none of these other six incidents had been reported.
“My question is, why don’t the hospitals report it to the police?”
Rise in cases
Grampians Health, which oversees Ballarat Base Hospital, could not confirm whether seven women presented with an alcohol hit on the night of August 20.
However, he did report that over the past three months he had noticed a “significant increase in patients presenting with possible symptoms of increased drinking”.
“Any patient showing symptoms of poisoning is treated for their symptoms until they are well,” a spokeswoman said.
Anne’s daughter was transferred to Ballarat Base Hospital on 20 August. (ABC News: Rochelle Kirkham)
“Patients who suspect their drinking has been spiked are encouraged to report to Victoria Police.”
Victoria Police would not comment on Anne’s daughter’s case, but said drink-fuelled cases were “thoroughly investigated”.
“Divisional licensing units regularly liaise with their local hospitality businesses and local liquor agreements to ensure safe practices,” a spokesman said.
Drive stronger protocols
Anne said she wanted to see more protocols to combat increased drinking.
“Whatever [goes to the hospital] this appears to have increased should be reported,” he said.
The Alcohol and Drug Foundation defines spiked drinking as when someone deliberately adds alcohol or another drug to a drink without the recipient’s knowledge. (Source: Unsplash, Andriyko Podilnyk)
“We made every effort to ensure my daughter’s blood was tested but were told it was a police matter.
“The hospital blamed the police, the police blamed the hospital and no blood was actually drawn.
“Something has to be done because someone is going to die and that’s my biggest concern.”
Underreported problem, says expert
National Institute on Drugs and Alcohol Associate Professor Nicole Lee said the symptoms of binge drinking could vary depending on the substance being used.
Dr. Nicole Lee has worked for 30 years as a clinician, educator and researcher in alcohol and other drugs. (Source: Dr. Nicole Lee, Twitter)
“You may feel dizzy, passed out, sick, very tired or much drunker than you expect given how much you actually drank,” Dr Lee said.
He said it surprised some people to learn that alcohol was the most common substance used to spike drinks.
“It’s adding extra alcohol to someone’s drink without them knowing,” he said.
Dr Lee said there were a number of possible motivations for increased drinking, including sexual assault and pranks.
He said the data was limited due to under-reporting, but the statistics showed that women were more likely than men to increase their drinking.
“We believe that up to four out of five victims are women,” Dr Lee said.
According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, between 2002 and 2003 there were up to 4,000 drinking incidents nationally.
*Anne asked that her last name not be used to protect her daughter’s identity.
Local news straight to your inbox
ABC Ballarat will deliver a summary of the week’s news, stories and photos every Wednesday. Sign up to stay connected.