Moncton woman speaks out following alleged drink tampering

A Moncton woman says she hopes speaking out about a sensitive issue will help more to come forward in the future.

“This is my second time in my life getting ‘roofied,'” says 24-year-old Taylor Woods. “I find that quite scary.”

A weekend venture downtown for Woods and a friend turned into a scary experience as she began to drift in and out of consciousness.

“I don’t remember much,” she said.

READ MORE: Halifax women allege they were drugged at bar

Since posting about the incident on social media, many people have contacted her with similar stories.

“That’s why a lot of people won’t really come forward,” she says.

“Because they’re scared people won’t believe them; that they’ll look like they’re too drunk.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Because they're scared people won't believe them; that they'll look like they're too drunk."

Woods says she reported the incident to the RCMP, and is hoping more victims will do the same. She’s even offered to drive other alleged victims to their local police detachment so they can file a report.

Roxanne Paquette, who is the provincial coordinator for the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program, says the practice of drugging drinks, called “drug-facilitated sexual assaults” often goes unreported.

“By the time the person realizes what happened, and often they don’t remember what happened – some decide not to go forward and report those,” Paquette says.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "By the time the person realizes what happened, and often they don't remember what happened - some decide not to go forward and report those," Paquette says.

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Paquette says aside from not having accurate data, these incidents going unreported means the victims also won’t get the care and treatment that’s needed.

Paquette says it’s a red flag if you start feeling dizzy, drunk and/or nauseous after a number of drinks, which don’t normally impact you that way.

“If ever you have the feeling that it’s happened to you, or if ever you have the feeling that it’s happened to one of your loved ones, please have them come to a hospital,” she says.

WATCH: Saint John police investigate two cases involving unidentified substances in drinks

Paquette encourages anyone who feels they’re a victim to go to an emergency room that has the SANE program, where they can be tested quickly, rather than wait in the ER.

Woods says the incident happened at the Tide & Boar Gastropub in Moncton, but says it’s a problem across the city and beyond.

The establishment posted on Facebook saying it’s aware of allegations about Saturday night, promising increased security measures, such as bussing drinks that are left alone, hanging educational posters and providing testing kits for people who think they’ve been drugged.

Woods is encouraging victims to speak out and report it to the police.

“Be careful, watch your drinks,” she says. “It’s not going to go away.”