The music pounded in her ears as she navigated through the packed second floor of the bar. The lights were low as she made her way to the counter and grabbed two cups of water—one for herself, one for a friend. She was exhausted and hoped to sober up as the night ended. She had barely taken a few sips of the water when she noticed something was wrong. The room rocked back and forth in front of her eyes, and she could feel herself become dizzy and disoriented as her vision swam.
Her mind raced as she realized what had happened: her drink had been spiked.
Despite the warnings and the fear surrounding drink-spiking incidents, especially on college campuses, it is far too easy to get swept up in the excitement of a night out and to maintain an unrealistically optimistic belief that such incidents could never happen to us.
When a USC student decided to go out one night in the fall of 2024 with her roommate, she could have never predicted what would happen or how it would change her outlook on social situations for months to come.
Before going to Vista Union, the student and her roommate had a few drinks at the dorm. Along the way, the idea arose to go to Jay’s Bar and Grill in Columbia.
“We had heard a lot about Jay’s, they definitely have a reputation and we definitely chose to ignore that,” the student said.
Once inside Jay’s, the student said that her roommate bought an alcoholic drink, which the student had a single sip of. As the night was winding down, the student slowly became tired and broke away from the crowd in search of water upstairs, which she got for both herself and her friend.
“Right after a few sips, I remember looking up and the room was going back and forth, back and forth,” the student said. “I just remember not feeling okay. I remember not feeling in control at all, and I’m someone who definitely likes to have control in situations.”
Once the student told her roommate how she was feeling, she immediately jumped into action, working to get the student down the stairs and out of the bar. IHOP was close by, so the girls made their way to the restaurant chain. The student says she remembers crying as they walked and hanging on to the arm of her roommate as she tripped and stumbled continuously. They spent a brief amount of time in the diner, but quickly called an Uber to take them home. Upon arriving back on campus, the student vomited. The student and her roommate eventually returned to their dorm, where their other roommate was waiting.
“She could see I was crying, and I was not myself,” the student said. “My roommates were incredible, they took my clothes off of me, they put me in the shower, they made sure I was good and stayed with me the entire time.”
The student states that at some point, it was apparent to her roommates that her condition was worsening. The roommates made the decision to call 911. The student recalls feeling vulnerable as several firefighters barged through the door.
“[They were] very up in my face and in my roommates’ faces, and I remember being led to our couch, and at this point, I think what’s really important to note is that I was literally just in a robe,” the student said.
The student felt uncomfortable as more medical personnel crowded into the room, including one or two paramedics, two people carrying a stretcher, and several police officers. She recalls feeling like they were judging her. The student got the impression that the first responders did not believe that she had not smoked anything nor that she had only had a little bit to drink. Although the student concedes that calling the first responders was ultimately the right thing to do in that situation, she feels that their skeptical and somewhat indifferent attitudes did nothing to alleviate her fears.
Following the experience, the student has never returned to Jay’s and finds that going out is no longer enjoyable or relaxing. When she does go out, she makes sure she stays on high alert in social situations. After the incident, the student joined therapy offered by the university, which she says has helped her immensely.
Ashley Quirk is the Associate Director of Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention and Prevention, which offers services ranging from intervention to educating students about consent and healthy relationships. Their mission is to support individuals who may be impacted by negative experiences as listed above, as well as to engender prevention work to educate students and faculty about these difficult topics.
“For us here at SAVIP, it is really important for us to put that message out there of, we support all students, no matter how they identify, and want to make sure that they get the support they need, and that they know our services are here, that they’re free and confidential,” said Quirk.
According to Quirk, it's important to recognize the different impacts that drink-spiking can have on someone, including slurred speech, slow walking, being unaware of one’s surroundings and even passing out. Prevention is equally important in order to combat this issue, and there are several resources on campus, including USCPD, the Substance Abuse Prevention and Educational office on campus and the Office of Civil Rights & Title IX office.
“On the other side of that is intervention, so we have students who have experienced a drink spiking, making sure they know what resources are available to them on campus, what the process might look like, and also making sure they know that we believe them at any point,” Quirk said.
SAVIP offers a 24/7 hotline that is managed by staff members and is guaranteed to be confidential. This can be a beneficial first step if students are looking to speak with someone but might be daunted by the prospect of speaking to law enforcement or the Title IX office on campus. Most importantly, Quirk guarantees that you will be believed:
“That's something that here at SAVIP, we really talk about a lot because our messaging is, we believe survivors. We believe them at their word,” Quirk said.
Ultimately, the student has a similar message for people who have experienced having their drink spiked. The student wants her peers to trust their instincts when they think something is wrong, regardless of who believes you—or doesn’t.
“I just want to let people know that that can happen no matter what you're drinking, it doesn't have to be alcohol,” the student said. “I want them to know that it's not their fault and, obviously, I've been there. I felt all the emotions and it's something that happened and we need to be aware. It shouldn't be a normalized thing.”
Jay's Bar and Grill did not respond to a request for comment.
SAVIP Hotline Number: (803)777-8248
