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News Release
Predatory Drug Awareness Campaign Larimer County, Colorado - Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey D. Sweetin of the Rocky Mountain Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration is proud to announce a community-wide Predatory Drug Awareness Campaign to prevent drug-facilitated sexual assaults in Larimer County, Colorado, during the week of March 3, 2003. The awareness campaign partners include: the Rocky Mountain Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration, TEAM Fort Collins, Larimer County Drug Task Force, CSU Center for Drug and Alcohol Education, Fort Collins Police Department, CSU Victim Assistance Team, Alternatives to Violence, Crossroads Safehouse, Larimer County Sheriff's Office, Poudre School District, Thompson School District, Bacchus & Gamma Peer Education Network, Colorado National Guard, 8th Judicial District Attorney's Office, Poudre Valley Hospital SANE Program, Colorado State University Police Department, Loveland Police Department, Fort Collins Coloradoan, NextMedia, Great Big Color, Citizens Printing and Kinkos (Fort Collins). The community of Larimer County, Colorado, understands the key to preventing drug-facilitated sexual assaults is to work together to inform and educate the residents about predatory drugs (better known as date-rape drugs), how to protect themselves in a social setting, and what to do if they become a victim of a drug-facilitated sexual assault. Drug-facilitated sexual assaults are a problem in today's society. The Rape Assistance and Awareness Program in Denver reports 10% of their clients were victims of drug-facilitated sexual assaults, although only 10% of all sexual assault victims report such crimes. Gail Abarbanel, founder and director of the nationally recognized Rape Treatment Center, estimated that 15%-20% of all sexual assaults were facilitated with drugs. Unfortunately, some people are using subtle weapons, predatory drugs, to commit sexual assaults. Anyone who deliberately gives a person a drug in order to assault them, or takes advantage of a person when they are in a vulnerable state, commits a crime. No one really knows how common drug-facilitated sexual assaults are because today's research does not offer a means to measure the number of victims. There are indicators that predatory-drugs such as GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate), Rohypnol, and Ketamine are being used voluntarily and by perpetrators in Larimer County, Colorado. There are indicators of several drug-facilitated sexual assaults in Larimer County, but the victims reported the crime too late for conclusive evidence to be obtained. There are no exact numbers to report on the problem in Larimer County, Colorado, but if there is one victim, that is one to many. The community-wide Predatory Drug Awareness Campaign to prevent drug-facilitated sexual assaults in Larimer County, Colorado, during the week of March 3, 2003 to March 8, 2003, has the following goals: GOAL 1: Raise
the awareness level of what predatory drugs are and their effects. To accomplish these goals the community-wide coalition partners mentioned above are planning the following events and activities: March
3, 2003: Press Conference to announce the campaign at 10:00am March
4, 2003: College Forum from 11:30am to 1:30pm March
5, 2003: Public Town Hall Meeting at 6:30pm, to inform and educate the
community about predatory drugs, introduce attendees to the network of
local resources available for prevention, education, and victim resources. Distribution of information via television and radio PSA's in the community, on the Colorado State University Campus, and within the high schools in Larimer County. Distribution of awareness posters on the college campus, within the high schools in Larimer County, and local restaurants and bars in Larimer County. Creating a billboard to attract the public's attention to the issue. These are just some of the activities being taken by the community partners to raise the awareness of and prevent drug-facilitated sexual assaults in Larimer County, Colorado. For more information, to schedule an interview, and/or to coordinate your appearance at the events, please contact Dennis Follett, Demand Reduction Coordinator, Rocky Mountain Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration at 303-705-7353. |