Don't fall foul of date rape drugs.

That is the message being pushed by a pre-Christmas campaign being launched at a Colchester club next month.

The event will be at Route nightclub and members of the public as well as people who work at pubs and clubs in the town are being urged to attend.

Colchester police licensing officer Michael Aitchison said the idea of the event was to warn people to beware of drugs being slipped into their glass.

Date rape drugs are used to spike victims' drinks, causing memory loss so they are vulnerable to sex attacks.

Mr Aitchison said: "People should not leave their drinks unattended because of the dangers of date rape drugs being slipped into their drinks.

"We are doing this before Christmas when there is going to be a lot more drinking."

Mr Aitchison also pointed out that men as well as women could be at risk from sex attackers using date rape drugs.

Published Thursday November 20, 2003

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