Many students come to Wilfrid Laurier University from larger urban centres and consider Waterloo to be a small and picturesque town complete with Mennonites, farmers markets’ and an easily accessible downtown.
This small-town mentality instills a false illusion of safety in a significant amount of people who are under the misconception that Waterloo, and more specifically, the university area, lacks the threat of crime.
An arrest made in early September at an Uptown Waterloo bar, however, only proved the ever present threat of crime. The 20-year-old male who had tampered with a woman’s drink serves to demonstrate the continuous problem of violence against women.
While the majority of people will blame the man for spiking the drink, which is obviously deserved, it can also be argued that there are multiple parties partially at fault.
Having the delusion that you are safe because you reside in a university town only contributes to a less-aware attitude that can result in a lack of attention when it comes to protecting your drinks.
Likewise, both Laurier and the Waterloo Regional Police could take a much more cautionary stance on the threat of date rape by keeping students informed about new drugs and techniques being used but primarily, what you can do to avoid this and where you can seek help if you suspect you have been drugged.
With better awareness and a more informed approach, the responsibility to protect people rests in the very bars themselves. Since drink detector technologies readily available, drinking establishments should be legally bound to have detector cards or coasters accessible in every club, pub and bar.
While we cannot truly blame anybody but the criminals who spike drinks, a stronger emphasis should be placed on the other parties who do indeed play a role.
—The Cord Editorial Board