Don't assume 'she drank too much' says woman drugged twice at Montreal bars

Rozana Ryan was out with friends in Montreal Friday night when she realized something was off.

"I remember my conversations — like crystal clear — and 20 minutes after, I started to feel really dizzy," said Ryan, 22.

"I couldn't stay straight," she said, remembering one of her friends asking her if she wanted to sit down. After that, everything went blank. "It's so scary."

One of her friends took her home immediately. It's the second time this has happened to her, she said, but this time it was much stronger. She woke up in bed, panicking. Then she saw her best friend was next to her and realized she was safe.

But the drug was still affecting her. She passed out in the bathroom for four hours Saturday morning, she said.

This is the second time in six months she suspects she was drugged while out in Montreal. The first time it happened to her, she said, she could remember things more clearly, though the drug left her immobilized — conscious but unable to move.

Ryan has not filed a complaint with the police yet because she says she is still anxious about the incident. She did call Quebec's medical help line for advice and was told to drink lots of water and rest, she said.

Drugs can be odourless, colourless

Drugs used in these situations are often colourless and odourless, making it difficult or impossible for the victim to detect them, said Gabrielle Comtois, an analyst with a provincial association of sexual assault victims, Regroupement québécois des centres d'aide et de lutte contre les agressions à caractère sexuel (RQCALACS).

She has worked extensively on issues related to gender-based violence, including sexual violence and harassment. 

"Different drugs can be used, but unfortunately the majority of them are cheap and easily accessible," she said.

According to the RQCALACS, 15 percent of sexual assaults reported in the province are related to the use of drugs and other substances.

"Typically the victim wakes up in an environment or with a feeling that suggests a sexual assault has occurred, but the victim is often unable to recall it, which makes it difficult to then report it," Comtois said.

Montreal police encourage victims to call them if they suspect they have been drugged. 

Earlier this month, provincial police announced a large-scale drug bust that included the arrest of several suspects. Among the drugs seized was 77 litres of gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB), commonly referred to as the "date rape" drug. 

Busts like these are not uncommon.

In April of 2022, Montreal police seized 100 litres of GHB and arrested four people in connection with raids at clandestine laboratories. At the same time, Longueuil police seized 375 litres of GHB, which police said represented about 75,000 doses.

Testing must be done quickly

Testing a victim for GHB, a drug commonly used in drink-spiking, can be a race against time.

GHB can only be detected in the blood for six hours, and in urine for up to 12 hours, according to Quebec's Health Ministry. And, the ministry adds, only specialized labs are able to process the tests.

The ministry, which has been working to improve access to testing, encourages victims to go to an emergency room as soon as possible for care and testing.

Drugs like ketamine, MDMA or even dimenhydrinate — a motion-sickness medication — are also used to drug potential sexual assault victims, causing symptoms like drowsiness, unconsciousness and memory loss.

Experts also say alcohol is still the most commonly used substance in drug-facilitated sexual assault and that the phenomenon of overserving alcohol is vastly underreported.

Victim encourages people to stay vigilant

Ryan said this type of thing is happening everywhere. She said people should be aware that this is going on and should stay vigilant.

"When you see a girl pass out, don't assume she drank too much," she said, encouraging people to help rather than ignore potential victims.

Speaking to CBC News on Tuesday, she said she's still recovering from the incident and feeling a lot of anxiety. She is focusing on her health, she said, and declined the bar owner's offer to review surveillance footage from that evening.

"It's an aggression," she said. "It's so scary to think — I am 22, but there are girls who are 18 — your first experience at a bar could be you get spiked and passed out."

Ryan said she is lucky her best friend, who had experienced something similar, knew what to do. She would like to see more education so people understand what signs to look for and what to do if they suspect they or a friend has been drugged.

Ryan's father, Richard Ryan, is a former Montreal city councillor. He wrote an extensive post on Facebook about his daughter's experience, expressing frustration about the incident and calling on society to act. 

Rather than asking if the victim accepted a drink or left one unattended, he said, parents should be educating their sons about consent and respecting women. 

"I am furious," he wrote.

"How can young men, not much older than her, think of such actions? What could possibly be going through their minds? And how can the other guys standing by let this happen without reacting?"