6
WADING THROUGH SOME
URBAN MYTHS
An urban myth or legend can be defined as a second-hand story that is told as true, which is likely to be framed as a cautionary tale. It generally involves one or more unusual events that supposedly happened to a real person. The person sharing the story usually knows of the person it happened to, or knows someone who knows them. We’ve all been told an outrageous story which ends with the words: ‘It’s true—it really happened to my mother’s hairdresser’s sister!’
For a long time these stories were passed from one person to another through conversation. Nowadays we have the internet. Warning emails on a variety of topics regularly do the rounds, but drugs appear to be one of the most popular subjects. These emails feed into the natural fear that many people, particularly parents, have around drugs. They often have limited knowledge on the topic and are greatly concerned about their children becoming involved with the drug culture, so when one of these emails arrives in their in-box, it simply reinforces their existing fears. And because they are often received from friends they know well and trust, they are believed and passed on!
There is also a great deal of drug folklore that exists among young drug users. This usually comprises bits of information on a range of topics that has spread from person to person. For many teenagers, this folklore relates to personal safety.
Young people, like everybody else in our society, obtain much of their drug information from pretty unreliable sources, particularly their friends. But as it is passed from one person to another, the information is subtly changed, with people often adding their own interpretation or interesting sideline. No matter how innocent the information is at the beginning of the chain, by the time it reaches the end, it now contains a couple of swear words and a bizarre sexual act!
This chapter examines some of the urban myths and folklore that exist in our society and aims to provide some more accurate information on the topics discussed.
Stories about drug manufacturers and dealers targeting very young children have been around for many years. The ‘Blue Star’ tattoo myth is possibly the most famous of these and goes back to 1980, although some say the story was circulating earlier than that.
In the past the story usually hit the headlines after a local school or police station received a copy of a flyer warning that LSD-soaked tattoos were being given away to children in local schoolyards. Nowadays it is usually an email message that is received by a concerned citizen who alerts the local media.
The information conveyed in the message can vary but usually explains that the LSD can be absorbed through the skin by handling the tattoos. The tattoos are the same size as postage stamps and have been designed to attract very young people by depicting cartoon characters. It goes on to say that these drugs are known to act very quickly and some are laced with strychnine. In fact, it warns, many children have already died from accidental ingestion of these tattoos. The message is usually signed by a representative of a well-known government agency or hospital, and to the naïve reader it appears to be quite genuine. Those receiving the alert are asked to forward the email urgently to as many people as possible.
Of course, the information contained in the email is all completely untrue. In fact, it simply doesn’t make sense. Why would drug manufacturers and dealers target the very young in the first place? They are most probably in the business to make money and would be looking for markets where they are able to do that without too much work. Primary school-aged children do not usually have cash to spend on drugs. The whole idea of the dealers trying to get the very young ‘hooked’ on a substance so that they have a ready-made market in the future is quite ridiculous. How long are they prepared to wait?
The concept of the ‘drug pusher’ is also quite problematic. The reality is that there is already a demand for illegal drugs and most people who sell them do not need to promote their product. Indeed, most dealers would prefer to have a small number of regular ‘clients’ rather than a large number that they don’t know particularly well. Having too many people knowing what you do increases your risk of getting caught.
The ‘Blue Star’ myth has been around for longer than most mainly because it has been regularly updated (in the 1980s the alerts claimed Mickey Mouse was depicted on the tattoos, in the 90s it became Bart Simpson) and also because LSD is sold in the form of small paper squares, usually illustrated with a design of some sort, including cartoon characters. However, LSD is not available in either a tattoo or transfer form.
More recently, mainly due to the increased use of methamphetamine around the world, particularly in the US and Australia, we have seen a new urban myth hit the headlines. Media stories quoted US drug agencies warning Australians to brace for a new wave of strawberry-flavoured amphetamines specifically designed to appeal to juvenile tastebuds. These stories were accompanied by email alerts sent around the country warning parents to be on the lookout for this new form of the drug, which was once again being used by ‘drug pushers’ to target their children.
The flavoured drug, known as ‘strawberry ice’, was apparently already proving popular with young users in the United States. According to these sources, strawberry flavouring and some reddish food colouring was added to the mix during the manufacturing process.
So what do we know about ‘strawberry ice’? According to websites that deal explicitly with investigating urban myths, this story is partially true. It started to do the rounds in early 2007 after some seizures of red methamphetamine were made in a number of states across the US. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agents were reported as saying that the drug resembled Pop Rocks (a lolly that fizzes in the mouth) and that it was another example of the depths to which ‘evil drug dealers’ would stoop.
The problem with this story is that there is no evidence to support the claim that there had been flavouring added to the drug. Yes, it may have been brightly coloured (which could have been due to the manufacturing process and the chemicals used and not, in fact, a marketing ploy), but did it taste like strawberries? No evidence of any taste tests exists. It was all rumour and ‘someone telling someone something that someone else had told them’. Naturally, concerned parents forwarded the email alert to their friends believing that they were doing the right thing.
So what should you do if you receive one of these emails? How do you know if the information is accurate or not?
My best advice is to contact the source. These emails usually contain a quote from a law enforcement officer or a hospital representative stressing the urgency of the situation. Before you pass the email on, spend a moment or two trying to get in contact with the person quoted in the story. These email warnings are dangerous. If you do receive one, or any other drug warning by email, please don’t forward it on before attempting to check its authenticity.
• Do energy drinks increase the effect of alcohol when you use them as a mixer?
The issue of energy drinks is an interesting one because both parents and their children ask questions about them, but from very different perspectives. Young people usually want to know if mixing one of these energy drinks with alcohol is likely to make you more drunk—that is, does it increase the effect of alcohol? Parents, on the other hand, want to know about the risks associated with drinking these popular beverages. Let’s deal with the risks first.
Energy drinks have become increasingly popular over the past few years and are marketed very heavily to young people. In the advertising that promotes these products we are told that these drinks will give us an extra energy boost and there is the suggestion that there is something contained within the drink that you are not going to find elsewhere. Some products do have additional ingredients (such as guarana), but in most cases caffeine and sugar are the active ingredients which give these drinks their supposed ‘boost’.
Caffeine is without a doubt the world’s stimulant of choice. Most adults consume about 200 milligrams of caffeine on a given day—that’s equivalent to about five cans of Coke, four cups of tea, a large bar of chocolate or two cups of instant coffee. If you like your coffee more upmarket, you may be consuming much, much more. Some coffees from the well-known franchises contain an amazing 550 milligrams of caffeine. Just one cup will put you up around the level that many health experts believe is of concern.
In small to moderate amounts, caffeine may have the beneficial effects of stimulating alertness and decreasing drowsiness. However, when consumed in large amounts, caffeine can cause a variety of negative side effects such as nervousness, insomnia, muscle twitching, rapid heart rate, irritability and trouble concentrating. Most experts believe that there is little risk of harm when a person consumes less than 600 milligrams of caffeine a day. If you can keep your caffeine intake level below that you need not worry about the negative health effects. If you are consuming more, you should start to seriously consider cutting back.
Of course, we would hope that a child’s daily intake of caffeine was much lower. I used to hate it when my father said this, but ‘in my day’ it was very rare to see young people, even teenagers, drink much coffee. I find it quite confronting when I arrive at a school in the morning and see teenage girls being dropped off with a cup of coffee from the local cafe in their hand. It’s interesting to note the concern that some parents have regarding energy drinks and their caffeine levels, while at the same time they virtually ignore the fact that their child is regularly consuming a range of other caffeine-based products, including coffee.
So how much caffeine is your child likely to consume when they have one of these energy drinks? If you believe the hype, you would think that the product is almost all caffeine, however the reality is quite different. Yes, there are some energy drinks that contain up to two or three times as much caffeine as a cup of instant coffee, but on average they contain about 80 milligrams, or slightly less than your morning cuppa.
Of great concern to many parents are the deaths linked to these drinks. Over the years it has been reported that a number of young people who have consumed quite large amounts of these products have subsequently died. Each one of these deaths is a tragedy and parents do need to be concerned, but it is important to note that it would appear each of these young people had a pre-existing condition and it is likely there would have been a similar outcome if they had drunk a great deal of coffee or tea. Like any drug, it is not necessarily the use of the drug that has caused the problem, but the abuse of it.
The problem with suggesting that these drinks have special or unusual properties is that our young people pick up on this and the product then seems much more attractive. It also leads to a great deal of mythology building up around the products.
Tim was a high-achieving year twelve student who was just about to start his final exams. He had been working hard and staying up late but wanted that extra boost to get him through the final few weeks. He was not interested in illegal drugs such as amphetamines and had been warned by teachers earlier in the year about the dangers of using over-the-counter caffeine medications. However, he had heard through some friends that the use of certain energy drinks improved memory and the ability to study. When I visited his school he approached me to ask if these products would indeed help him to study and whether there were any side effects.
This area is one which the energy drink manufacturers have leapt on. Some of the advertising for these products highlights the supposed positive effect that they can have on memory and learning. However, whether the drinks—and caffeine itself—can live up to this promise is another question. Some studies have suggested that small amounts of caffeine might increase alertness and short-term memory. However, other studies have shown that too much caffeine may actually have the reverse effect, such as interfering with the ability to focus and to easily recall information—not exactly desirable when preparing for exams. My advice to Tim was to avoid energy drinks and caffeine as an aid to study—although there could be some short-term benefits if a small amount of caffeine was consumed, he was most probably getting that from other things he was drinking and eating throughout the day. Too much caffeine could result in a range of problems, particularly the inability to sleep, and simply wasn’t worth the risk.
There are risks associated with energy drinks but we do need to be careful not to overstate them. It would appear that most of these risks are associated with inappropriate caffeine intake. Too much caffeine can lead to unpleasant effects, whether your child drinks energy drinks, coffee or tea—so make sure that when you talk to your child about caffeine, you talk about the range of products that contain the drug. It could also be a great opportunity to examine your own caffeine use and whether you are consuming more than you should.
Parental concern about these products, combined with incredibly clever marketing by the manufacturers, has ensured that young people have a real interest in energy drinks. As I have already said, there are a great many myths about the amazing qualities of these drinks—including the idea that mixing them with alcohol will get you more drunk!
If you go to any nightclub or bar across the country, it is not unusual to see energy drink promotions taking place. These promotions usually involve beautiful young women moving through the establishment providing free samples of their product, either by itself or mixed with a spirit, most often vodka. Energy drinks are now regarded by many as the ideal mixer, and over time the belief that they somehow increase the effect of alcohol has developed.
So what do we know about the effect of the mix? Does it really have some strange magical properties?
In recent times there has been a number of studies that have examined this claim and it would appear that the effect can be explained very simply. Alcohol is a depressant, and one of the potential barriers to risky drinking is its depressant effects—that is, you start to feel drunk and sleepy and you stop. When you add a stimulant to the mix, such as caffeine, a person might be less aware of the effects of the alcohol and thus able to drink more.
Although these effects seem positive to young people, there are risks to this type of drinking. Without the barrier of the depressant effect, yes, you can drink more, but you also put yourself at greater risk of something going wrong. One study showed that those who mixed alcohol with energy drinks were more likely to be involved in a traffic accident or be the victim of a sexual assault, simply because they were unaware of how drunk they really were.
It is important to remember that even though you have had the stimulant (the caffeine in the energy drink), you are still drunk in terms of motor coordination, visual reaction times and blood alcohol concentration. The feeling of being drunk may be masked but you are still intoxicated. Put really simply, what you are doing to your body is putting your foot on the accelerator and the brake at the same time—it doesn’t know what to do and that’s when things can go wrong!
When you talk to your child about energy drinks and their risks make sure they are aware that the body responds to certain drugs to protect itself. When you’re getting too drunk, your body slows down for a reason—if you try to artificially keep yourself going and ignore the messages your body is sending you, you are asking for trouble.
• Do illegal drugs sometimes contain things like laundry powder, bleach and ground glass?
Many people, including many drug users, believe that illegal drugs are often ‘cut’ with a variety of dangerous substances. These can range from products found in the laundry cupboard, such as detergent and bleach, through to rat poison, kitty litter and ground glass. There is also a belief that sometimes other, more dangerous illicit drugs are added, either to add to the effect or to get the unsuspecting user ‘hooked’ on the other substance. This particularly applies to ecstasy, with many users believing that some pills contain heroin (this supposed phenomenon is often referred to as ‘smacky E’s’). Cannabis users will talk of hearing that the plant is sprayed with other substances.
There is little evidence to support these beliefs. Before we look into the facts behind these myths, it is important to examine why these beliefs may exist in the first place.
First, it is commonly believed that little care is taken during the manufacturing process. We tell young people that drugs such as speed and ecstasy are manufactured in ‘backyard laboratories’ and, as a result, that any products could be used in the mix. Second, we constantly reinforce the fact that people involved in the manufacture and supply of drugs are capable of just about anything, and so it seems reasonable to believe that they would do incredibly irresponsible things like this.
In reality, if manufacturers did start to include things like rat poison in their mix, we would very quickly see the results and they would very quickly lose business! Although the labs used to make illicit drugs are not of the same quality as those used by pharmaceutical companies, it is highly unlikely that the chemists have boxes of rat poison hanging around that could accidentally fall into the mix. Without a doubt, organised crime is unscrupulous when it comes to increasing profits, and they’re not really going to care about the misery that their products could inflict on the users. However, one thing everyone needs to remember is that the manufacturers and dealers want repeat business. If they were making and selling products that contained some of the things that are often discussed, their business would soon dry up.
Drugs that are seized by police are routinely tested both here and overseas. There is a great deal of forensic evidence available and many of the substances discussed have never been found. Drugs definitely have things added to them to improve profit margins, but usually these products are fairly benign and may include paracetamol, caffeine, glucose, lactose and other sugars. Bicarbonate of soda and Epsom salts have also been found. Of course, if you’re talking about pills and tablets, a variety of starch and gums are also used to bind the drug together.
Unfortunately, urban myths like this are sometimes picked up and result in media reports and a wider belief that there is some basis in fact to the stories.
Many years ago a story ran in newspapers across the country about ecstasy being tested and found to contain ground glass. The story originated from a press release based on information from an article in a South-east Asian newspaper. Someone had found the article while on holiday and had brought it back to Australia.
To this day I still get questions about glass in ecstasy. The myth has been around for years and there is no evidence to support it. The story even attempts to explain why glass would be used: to make tiny cuts in the stomach to enable the ecstasy to enter the bloodstream faster, so the user will feel the effect of the drug more quickly.
When it comes to lacing drugs with other illicit substances in an attempt to entice naïve young people to start using them, it is important to consider one important thing—the cost. Drugs are expensive, and it just doesn’t make any economic sense for drug manufacturers or suppliers to add other costly substances to their products in the hope that the unsuspecting user may get hooked on it in the future.
I should also emphasise once again that drugs are routinely tested and if some of these substances had been discovered we would know about it fairly quickly.
My greatest concern about this myth is that it diverts attention from the very real issue that the drug the user intended to buy is itself potentially dangerous. One of my pet hates is when you hear the police talking about a ‘bad batch’ of drugs currently available on the streets. This implies that there are ‘good batches’ available. Talking about adulterants, whether they be legally available products or illegal substances, reinforces the myth among drug users that the only real harm associated with their drug of choice relates to issues of purity. All drugs are risky and although the harms are different for different drugs and different people, they are real and our young people need to be aware of them.
It is important to let young people know that there is no way of being certain what is in any illicit substance—no matter what anyone says. Stories about drugs containing all types of weird and wonderful things such as rat poison and kitty litter are just that: stories. We need to make sure that we don’t get carried away worrying about potentially dangerous adulterants that could have been added to the mix. When we do that we lose sight of the incredibly important message that what they are intending to buy is risky in itself.
• Does mixing over-the-counter painkillers with alcohol (or cola) have a ‘special’ effect?
There are several urban myths based around combining commonly available substances for a much more pronounced effect. The one that is best known (and has been around the longest) is that mixing any cola-based drink with aspirin will get you high—it was even mentioned in the popular movie Grease. Nowadays, however, young people are far more likely to talk about mixing painkillers with alcohol instead of cola drinks.
When you trawl the websites that are dedicated to busting urban myths it is interesting to see some of the things that the combination of cola (or alcohol) and over-the-counter painkillers is supposed to do. It is said, for example, to act as an aphrodisiac, kill you instantly or cure a hangover.
It’s really no surprise that these sorts of stories do the rounds. Adolescence is a time for experimentation and for pushing the boundaries. There are so many things that young people are ‘not meant to do’ during this time and this includes using readily available pharmaceutical products inappropriately. When they hear stories about particular products having some bizarre effects when mixed together, it should come as no surprise that some of the more adventurous teenagers are going to try it.
So what do we know about paracetamol? Paracetamol is a simple painkilling medicine used to relieve mild to moderate pain and fever, and is the active ingredient in a whole range of capsule and tablet products. Despite its widespread use for over 100 years, we still don’t fully understand how paracetamol works. However, it is thought that it works by reducing the production of some compounds in the brain and spinal cord which are produced by the body in response to injury and certain diseases. One of their actions is to sensitise nerve endings so that when an injury is stimulated it causes pain (most probably to prevent us from causing further harm to the area). As paracetamol reduces the production of these nerve-sensitising prostaglandins, it is thought it may increase our pain threshold, so that although the injury remains, we can feel it less.
Paracetamol is a fairly safe drug and, like the ads say, when used as directed it is not likely to cause any problems. However, if it is mixed with a powerful drug like alcohol is it likely to cause any serious health effects?
Well, first of all it is important to debunk the myth that this combination is going to result in some magical effect. There is no evidence to indicate that mixing paracetamol with alcohol (or cola) will do anything that could be perceived as positive. In fact, it is just the reverse.
First of all, we really don’t know how much paracetamol the young people use when they play with this mix. Unfortunately, what we see so often with this type of myth is that after they have tried it out and there isn’t any reaction, there is every likelihood that they will increase the amount so as to get an effect—if one doesn’t do the job, maybe three will! It is extremely important that young people are aware that an overdose of paracetamol is very dangerous and is capable of causing serious damage to the liver and kidneys. You should start teaching your children from a very early age that they should never exceed the dose stated on a packet of over-the-counter or prescribed medication under any circumstances. Medical assistance should be sought immediately in the event of a paracetamol overdose, even if the person who has taken them feels well, because of the risk of delayed, serious liver damage.
Together, alcohol and paracetamol can be damaging to the liver and young people need to be told that this is a very risky activity. Discussing urban myths and how they begin can be a great conversation starter between you and your child. There are many websites dedicated to ‘busting’ these myths and many of them relate to drugs and drug use.
All parents are encouraged to try to make their children ‘critical thinkers’. When they access information from any source, it is vital that they assess where the information is coming from, why it is being provided to them and whether there are any underlying agendas at play. This sort of critical thinking is best practised when watching tabloid television programs or reading gossip magazines. Even our most well-respected outlets are capable of ‘getting it wrong’. So teaching our children this skill is vital. The more you practise this sort of analysis the greater the chance that your kids will reject much of the mythology that has developed around drugs and drug use.
One of the most popular ‘tips’ passed down from generation to generation has been that if you are planning on drinking alcohol you should make sure you line your stomach beforehand. There are many suggestions of what to use, but the most popular has always been a glass of milk. The reasons for doing this may vary—some people say that it will prevent a hangover, while others just believe that it will make the alcohol experience more pleasant.
It is important to remember that, unlike food, alcohol does not have to be digested before it can be absorbed into the bloodstream. Alcohol molecules are small and pass into the bloodstream quickly and easily. Some alcohol is immediately absorbed through the wall linings of the stomach, while the rest moves into the small intestine. All in all, alcohol makes its way through the digestive system pretty rapidly. However, on its way it can cause problems.
One of the major problems is that alcohol irritates the lining of the stomach. When it becomes irritated the stomach secretes a protective mucus and gastric juices. These juices don’t affect the alcohol that much, but they do dilute its concentration in the stomach and can also delay the stomach emptying as it would usually. This can lead to stomach aches, nausea or vomiting. If your stomach is empty when you drink, the irritation will most probably be worse. Food, particularly those foods full of protein, such as milk, meat or eggs, appear to protect the stomach lining by slowing down the absorption of alcohol because the stomach has to break it down with gastric juice to start the process of digestion.
So it would appear that eating a small meal or consuming, at the very least, a glass of milk before you drink alcohol could help prevent things from turning nasty.
However, over time this message has been warped and has, on occasion, led to potentially life-threatening situations.
Seventeen-year-old Gary and fifteen-year-old Rosa had been seeing each other for a couple of weeks. They were going to a party on Saturday night and Rosa had invited her best friend, Liza, to join them.
The night was great fun, they all had a bit to drink, but Gary was definitely way ahead of the girls. He had been playing drinking games with his mates and he was now feeling pretty unwell. Rosa and Liza walked him out of the party and were heading home when they realised he wasn’t going to make it. He was drifting in and out of consciousness and soon he passed out under a tree in a park.
Liza made several attempts to convince Rosa that they needed to call an ambulance or at least an older friend who could drive. Rosa refused and got increasingly angry with Liza as she believed that she could look after her boyfriend.
She had heard through friends that if you fed someone bread when they were drunk it would sober them up. This belief was so popular among Rosa’s classmates that many of them even took slices of bread with them if they planned to drink. Rosa was one of those young people who believed in being prepared—she had bread in her bag! She started to feed Gary small pieces. Of course Gary found it extremely difficult to even open his mouth, let alone chew and swallow the bread, but Rosa persisted and gradually had fed him a whole slice.
By this time Liza had seen enough. She moved away from the pair and called an ambulance. Within minutes help arrived on the scene and found Rosa in tears, holding Gary in her arms. He was now blue and unconscious. The ambulance crew asked what had happened then swung into action, quickly removing a large amount of unchewed bread from the back of the young man’s throat, where it had been slowly but surely choking him.
Gary survived, but only just. The ambulance crew told Rosa that if they had arrived just a few minutes later Gary would have choked on the bread that she had force-fed him.
Rosa’s strategy of using bread to sober someone up is like any drug myth; most likely originating from accurate information, over time the content of the message had changed as it had been passed from one person to the next. It is not hard to see that it most probably comes from the message that eating something before you drink could prevent a bad experience but the potential damage this myth, and others like it, can cause is immense.
Interestingly, I have been to a number of schools in recent times where the bread and eating myth has evolved yet again. Young people are now saying that if you get home after a big night out the best way to prevent a hangover is to eat as much bread as you possibly can before you go to sleep. I have spoken to young people who have tried to consume as much as a loaf of bread before going to bed in an attempt to avoid a pounding headache the next day. This would be funny if it wasn’t for the choking risk that these teenagers face if they haven’t chewed and swallowed the bread properly.
The message we need to give teenagers is that although friends want to keep you safe, the information that they give you is not always correct. Always check out any information your friends give you as thoroughly as you can.
Without a doubt this is the number one question asked by young men in relation to illicit drugs. Maybe it’s because they like to say the rhyme in front of their peers—it definitely gets a laugh—but it is important to remember that, not including tobacco, the most common ‘mix’ of drugs among young people in Australia is cannabis and alcohol. (For more information on young people and the use of these substances, see chapters 2-4.)
People who mix cannabis and alcohol say they do it to get more ‘wasted’ or ‘out of it’, or that they use the second drug to increase the effects of the first. One of the greatest problems that people appear to experience when they mix these two drugs is ‘greening out’. This refers to the situation where, for reasons that we don’t understand and cannot predict, people feel physically sick after smoking cannabis. They might go pale or even ‘green’; they can feel sweaty and dizzy; they experience nausea and might even throw up.
So what about the old saying—does the order in which the drugs are taken have any impact on their effect?
Although the effects are not totally predictable, it does seem that you’re more likely to have a bad reaction if you drink then smoke than if you smoke then drink. Many people say that greening out is more likely to happen if they have a smoke after they’ve been drinking. Some evidence suggests that when you have alcohol in your blood, you absorb THC (the part of cannabis that gets you stoned) faster. So you might end up having what is a normal amount of cannabis for you, but it has a much stronger effect than if you hadn’t been drinking.
On the other hand, there is research to suggest that smoking cannabis can actually slow the absorption of alcohol, reducing the effects you feel from the alcohol. So it would appear that the old saying is correct to a point. However, it needs to be remembered that using one drug is risky, and mixing two drugs together greatly increases the risk of something going terribly wrong, no matter what the rhyme says.
• Is it true that one of the drugs used in drink spiking sterilises the victim?
At some time or another I am sure you’ve received an email from a friend you trust warning about some terrible new trend. Many times these involve drugs—ecstasy that contains glass and LSD-soaked tattoos are just two that have already been covered in this chapter.
Another of these email hoaxes deals with a drug called ‘Progesterex’. Here is a version of the email that I received in 2007:
Please advise your daughters and send to as many people as possible—this is very tragic. On Saturday night a woman was taken from a nightclub by five men who, according to hospital and police reports, gang raped her before dumping her. She was unable to remember the events of the evening, but tests later confirmed the repeat rapes along with traces of Rohypnol in her blood, with Progesterex, which is essentially a small sterilisation pill which vets use to sterilise large animals.
Rumour has it that Progesterex is being used together with Rohypnol, the date rape drug. Progesterex, which dissolves in drinks just as easily, means that the victim doesn’t conceive from the rape and the rapist needn’t worry about having a paternity test identifying him months later.
The drug’s effects are not temporary. They are permanent! Any female who takes it will never be able to conceive. The bastards can get this drug from anyone who is in vet school or any university. It’s that easy.
Please forward this to everyone you know, especially girls. Be careful when you’re out, and don’t leave your drink unattended. Guys, please inform all your female friends and relatives. Girls, keep your drinks safe at all times, and men, look after the girls you’re with.
Please pass this on to all your friends and family . . . Thank you.
There are many versions of this story but they usually involve a young woman being sexually assaulted by an unknown assailant. Tests later reveal traces of Progesterex in her blood. This one even adds the drug Rohypnol to the story, just to give it a little more authenticity.
It is, of course, a hoax, and the only reason for its existence appears to be to frighten young women. Progesterex doesn’t exist! There’s no mention of it anywhere in medical or scientific literature.
Legitimate drug warnings are incredibly important, however it’s equally important to separate fact from fiction. As I’ve said before, if you receive this or any other warning by email, check out the facts carefully before forwarding it.