Students and staff received a public safety announcement this morning regarding two recent incidents of sexual assault date drugs being dispensed at social events, and with Dam Jam happening later tonight, public safety is urging students and those attending the event to be aware of their surroundings and not accept drinks from strangers. Dam Jam is a substance-free event and will be heavily monitored by law enforcement and public safety officials.

According to Lieutenant Daniel Duncan of the Corvallis police department, the best thing people can do to stay safe in large crowd situations like Dam Jam is to be in control of their drink.

“If you are the one who is in control of your drink, then you know what is in it. That is the best way to keep yourself out of harm’s way,” Duncan said. “We’ve all heard it but tend to forget about the buddy system. Be of legal drinking age, and make sure you are aware of how much alcohol you are consuming. Once your guard gets down you may leave your drink somewhere or forget how much you’ve had, the gen risks with over-intoxication.”

According to the United States Drug Testing Laboratories, drugs like Rohypnol, also known as roofies, can not be tasted or smelled and can start taking effect within 30 minutes of consumption. The first telltale signs of having Rohypnol in your system are drowsiness and dizziness. To prevent misuse of this drug, manufacturers have started adding blue dye to it so it changes the color of liquids it is dissolved into, but there are still generic brands accessible that do not have this feature.

If you believe you have had something added to your drink, call 911 or find a public safety professional nearby.