“I’m afraid of going back to a bar”: they testify after being drugged without their knowledge

Their names are Amandine, Noélie and Louise, and they have in common that they have been bitten or drugged without their knowledge in bars, clubs or cafes. For some there is even talk of chemical submission.

In this investigation, all three go back to what they went through: Amandine and Louise were drugged while they were drinking. Noélie, meanwhile, was stung while she was out at a party with her friends. Everyone is shocked by what happened to them.

But their case is not isolated. In recent months, the testimonies on social media have multiplied and numbered in the hundreds. As of June 16, in France, there were more than 800 complaints and nearly 1,000 testimonies mentioning injections at parties, bars or festivals.

What is chemical submission and how can it be prevented?

In this survey format that we are inaugurating, we return on this growing and worrying phenomenon, through testimonies but also with the help of pharmacologist Leila Chaouchi.

We explain what chemical submission is, what its consequences are and also what differentiates it from the harmful bites that we hear a lot about right now. We also talk about how to protect yourself and what nightlife associations and professionals do to raise public awareness.

Thanks to Amandine, Louise and Noelie for their testimonials, as well as to Leïla Chaouachi, pharmacologist at the Paris addiction monitoring center and expert for the national investigation led by the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines (ANSM), for the his analysis. .