BOSTON (WHDH) - State lawmakers are considering a new bill to help people who believe they’ve been drugged. Healthcare providers only test for drugs if a victim was sexually assaulted, but advocates say there shouldn’t be a requirement. One woman shared her story where she was drugged at a venue but couldn’t get tested.
Testing is just one component on how state lawmakers want to tackle this issue. The State Senate also set aside $300,000 to go toward prevention and testing, including test kits to give to bars.
Last fall, Ilana Katz went to a concert to watch her friend perform when the night took a terrifying turn.
“I took two, maybe three tiny sips of the drink. I felt extremely drunk, and then I collapsed on the floor like a ragdoll like that,” she said.
She believes someone spiked her drink, and while friends and even strangers quickly came to her aid, the venue, she said, did not. The bar eventually was sanctioned for failing to rending aid to her that night, which resulted in a one-day suspension of their liquor license.
“If someone is in distress then you take care of them,” Katz said. “I could have died.”
Her husband rushed her to the emergency room, where staffers told them there wasn’t much they could do.
“He said, ‘take her blood,’ (and) they said we don’t do that unless the policy at the time was unless you’ve been sexually assaulted,” Katz said. “They will not take your blood and test it for these date rape drugs.”
Now, state lawmakers are working to change that. Earlier this year, Senator Paul Feeney from Foxborough filed a bill to create a testing protocol and standard of care for victims of date rape drug, regardless of whether sexual assault was involved. Katz is one of the victim advocates who helped craft the legislation.
“It’s been very challenging but I’m glad to speak up. I just want things to be safer for all of us,” Katz said.
The bill would also establish a task force to track confirmed drugging cases and make recommendations for prevention. This week, Feeney secured $150,000 in the Senate to purchase and distribute drink test kits to bars across the Commonwealth. The House still needs to green light the funding.
Katz said it took enormous effort, but she was able to get a urine test through police, which she said ultimately showed several date rape drugs in her system.
While she doesn’t blame the bar, she is asking for more awareness and accountability from bar owners.
“If someone is in distress you help them this is not rocket science and it’s not difficult,”
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