Introduction:
Introductory
Every weekend, hundreds of college students storm the bars of downtown Laramie. With only a few options, Roxie’s emerges as the most popular and exciting bar. With multiple bars, three floors, and a professional PA system with surround sound Roxie’s provides a perfect atmosphere to have “fun”. Equipped with multiple TVs giving you endless options for sound and entertainment, or maybe, distractions. Over the past decade there has been stories of girls attending Roxie’s and blacking out, forgetting everything that happened the night before with very little to drink. There have even been articles warning girls to be careful when meeting new people and never set there drinks down unattended. The ‘victims’ and spectators are assuming there are predators going to these bars and drugging females using a drug called Roofies.
Quote
Chole Haag, a girl who I interviewed about a night she claims someone roofied her said, “I had two drinks at the bar and blacked out and my girlfriends had to take me home. When I woke up I remember a guy bought me a drink and was being super creepy.” She wasn’t assaulted but he believes a man attempted to.
5 Ws
Garret Hensley is the proud owner of the establishment at 221 Grand ave. He has received claims that people are roofying his customers to make them easy targets for sexual assault.
Facts
According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 report experiencing alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape.
Also, according to a survey conducted in 2016, 7.8 percent of college students in the United States reported that their drinks had been roofied.
There are not many reports about drink spiking and drug-facilitated sexual assaults in Laramie because sometimes people don’t even know that they were drugged or don’t find it’s necessary to report the case.
In fact, no one has been charged in the town of Laramie for rape or distributing the drug known as roofies.
There is a problem with date-rape drugs and that is they are metabolized very quickly. This makes it very hard to find them in the body the morning after the party.
Quotes
I interviewed the owner of Roxies, Garret Hensley, about what he is doing to combat these claims and if he has caught any customers or bartenders spiking a drink.
“I have instructed my bartenders to pay attention to suspicious customers and unattended drinks. I have gave them a few prevention methods, they are supposed to make the decision to sell more than two drinks at a time to a single person.”
“My bartenders look out for people who are too intoxicated and the bouncers find them a ride home.”
He ensured me that he was disappointed in the claims against his bar and how sorry he was for the possible victims. He then went on to say how he demands the best service and that he will make sure the environment at his bar will be a safe one.
More of his prevention methods include…
“I have strengthened my security at the front door, they have been trained to spot fake I.Ds and not let anyone too intoxicated in. I have more security on the floors during dance parties and near every bar.”
I believe these were effective prevention methods because no one has been sexually assaulted from the reports shown. Hensley is a respectable man and I am positive he is doing everything to combat this issue.
Other bars
Roxies is not the only bar in town and certainly not the only bar where this roofie issue could be happening.
According to a bartender interviewed by the branding iron regarding protecting yourself she says, “You order a drink, you keep it, motherf—er, in your hand. If you f—ing leave it on the bar, go outside, hang out with your friend and come back, you never know what piece of shit customer on other side of the bar is sitting and watching you and your drink.” This is pretty good advice and you should never drink your alcohol if you set it down or left it.
Conclusions
Although there have been many cases no girls have been reported being sexually assaulted. Often times they assume they have been drugged because they have got to drunk. Hensley has done everything he can to prevent anyone from getting drugged but it is ultimately left up to the students and customers. Don’t set your drink down, to take drinks from strangers, and never leave the bar with a guy you know nothing about if you feel too intoxicated.
Thomas media 