An urgent warning to watch out for a drinking spike has been issued after a concertgoer said she tested positive for a powerful illegal drug the next day.
The woman believes she was spiked with the date rape drug GHB by a stranger on Wednesday during the Fred Again concert at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney’s Olympic Park.
Now the woman’s sister has warned that young people are not taking binge drinking seriously enough and urged local community pages to raise awareness.
“My sister attended the Fred Again concert at Qudos Bank Arena last night and was completely blown away,” she posted online Thursday.
“She went for a blood test today and they found GHB in her system.”
She added: ‘Spiking is becoming increasingly common and young adults and teenagers are not taking it seriously. An ambulance should have been called.
‘And a report should have been made immediately to the police to investigate. But no one talks about it well or they blame the victim.
“Liquor increases in New South Wales are at their highest level in five years, this is serious and it needs to be talked about.”
An urgent warning has been issued for people to watch their drinks after a woman discovered an illegal drug in her system after attending a concert (stock image)
Fred Again performed three shows at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney this week
An attendee at the following evening’s Fred Again concert told Daily Mail Australia that they saw a young girl, who appeared unconscious, being carried out of the concert.
They said that the girl who was removed from the dance floor ten minutes before the concert had started had struck them as ‘strange’ because the audience was still calm.
“Although there was a lot of pre-loading going on outside prior to the concert, so that could be it,” the visitor said.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Qudos Bank Arena for comment.
Data from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research shows police recorded 220 incidents involving excessive eating or drinking between July 2022 and June 2023 – a 20 per cent increase on the previous year and the highest rate in NSW in five year.
The state government has rolled out the Think Safe to Drink Safe campaign in response to increased food and drink spike incidents.
People were advised not to accept drinks from other people, but instead buy their own drinks and watch them being made by the bartender.
The advisory also advised people to never leave their drinks unattended and avoid batch drinks such as punch with unknown alcohol content.
It comes just months after former Bachelor star Monique Morley revealed she was ‘practically paralysed’ after her drink was spiked in the Caribbean.
The influencer, who was part of The Bachelor Australia series in 2019, revealed she was caught at a bar in the middle of the day.
Former Bachelor star Monique Morley (pictured) revealed she was ‘practically paralyzed’ after her drink was spiked in the Caribbean
There was hardly anyone in the bar, except for another man who walked past her as she looked out at the ocean. Mrs Morley believes the man drugged her, despite her looking away from her drink for just five seconds.
‘My drink had only just been served and when I turned around to drink it I started to feel very strange, especially in my legs. I asked my friend if she felt the same way and she said no,” she told Yahoo News.
“I said, ‘Hey, I think my drink is spiked.’ She asked how, because we were the only people there, but it must have been that guy.
Ms Morley said she was ‘practically paralysed’ and was ‘completely ill’ for hours and warned other women to remain vigilant.
“With the holidays approaching, can everyone please be as careful while they are out, especially when traveling and abroad,” she wrote on Instagram.
‘Watch your drinks and make sure you always have someone you trust around you. You should also always listen to your feelings and distance yourself from situations in which you do not feel comfortable.’