Imagine going to a club with your friends. You are all having a great time, but after your last drink, you’re feeling unlike yourself. You decide that you should go home because despite not drinking any alcohol, you’re feeling dizzy and disoriented.
Your friends made sure you got to your car, and you told them you’d be fine to drive home. Unfortunately, about halfway there, you ended up crashing. A police officer at the scene determined that you were under the influence, and now you’re facing charges for a DUI even though you didn’t drink or take any drugs.
You could be a victim of club drugging
Unfortunately, it is possible to be a victim of club drugging and not know before you get in your vehicle to drive home. Club drugs, which are drugs like Rohypnol or ecstasy, may not cause an immediate effect. If you don’t know that you’ve ingested them, you might leave the club thinking you’re just getting tired or have eaten something bad, but you may actually be impaired by an illicit substance.
If you believe that you were a victim of a drugging incident, it’s important to take action to defend yourself. It is unfair for someone who has been drugged without their knowledge to face accusations of a DUI when they did not take those drugs willingly.
The effects of club drugs could get you in trouble with the law
It’s unfortunate, but the effects of club drugs can mimic alcohol intoxication and impair you enough to make it dangerous for you to drive. You may lose motor control, have impaired senses, have memory loss and more. If this happens and you are able to talk to the officer, ask them for medical assistance. At the hospital, let a nurse or provider know that you think you’ve been drugged. They can typically test for the metabolites of certain drugs and narrow down if you have one in your system.
After this, it’s in your best interests to discuss your case with someone familiar with the law. You may be able to successfully defend against a DUI.