Pretoria's nightlife has taken a sinister turn with an "explosion" in the spiking of drinks - and the situation is getting worse.

Of gravest concern to city authorities is the type of drugs used to lace drinks.

The concern follows the drugging of University of Pretoria student Tristan Arnold, 20, and the death a few weeks ago of Johannesburg teenager Lezaan Kriel, a Grade 11 Florida High School pupil.

Arnold, recalling his ordeal on Thursday, said he was having drinks with friends at Hatfield Square when he became disorientated and started stumbling around.

'I could not walk or talk properly'
"I remember having drinks at a pub, which were fine, and then going to a nightclub where I had a beer. The rest is a blank. It is really scary," he said, adding that he had been robbed.

Arnold said he could not remember anything after drinking the beer.





"I was apparently falling all over the place and vomiting. I could not walk or talk properly and friends had to help me home," said Arnold.

It was scary not knowing what he had been drugged with, he said. "I could have been killed."

Arnold's mother Val said she was horrified. "It is frightening knowing something like this can happen," she said.

'It is happening everywhere'
Parents needed to be aware of the dangers that faced children when they went out, she said.

Tshwane Metro Police narcotics unit commander Superintendent Mark Newham said the drugs used could have fatal consequences.

"The problem is that people who do this act on rumours of what and how much they should use which is what leads to poisoning and in some cases death.

"We have been finding people using drugs such as Ketamine, which is a veterinary sedative," he said.

Newham said there was a "major" problem with the spiking of drinks across Tshwane, with the main problem areas being Centurion and Hatfield.

Spiking of drinks occurred in nightclubs, pubs and at house parties, he said.

"It is happening everywhere and this problem is only going to get worse as people experiment with different types of drugs to see what works and what does not," he said.

Newham said one of the biggest problems was the under-reporting of these crimes.

"It is very worrying because we do not know how bad the problem is. What we do know is that the spiking of drinks is on the increase," he said.

Newham said parents and teachers needed to make children aware of the dangers of accepting drinks from strangers or leaving their drinks unattended.

Pretoria private investigator Mike Bolhuis said the spiking of drinks was particularly bad in Pretoria and Johannesburg where there had been an "explosion".

"Of serious concern is the sinister nature behind the spiking of drinks, with those responsible now also operating at house and school parties," he said.

Bolhuis said drinks were spiked by people who wanted to sexually attack someone or get their target hooked on drugs.

The spiking of drinks was a worrying factor, he said, because there was a large group of young South Africans unaware of the dangers.

If police, parents and the entertainment industry did not take urgent steps to address the problem, "it will definitely get worse".

Bolhuis said that to stop the problem parents and schools needed to create awareness programmes in conjunction with police to educate children.

"Government needs to put stricter regulations in place to govern the sale of medicines and to come down hard on those caught committing such crimes," Bolhuis said.

people spiking drinks is messed up. are there areas of the nation that are worse than others?

Arnold, recalling his ordeal on Thursday, said he was having drinks with friends at Hatfield Square when he became disorientated and started stumbling around.

'I could not walk or talk properly'
"I remember having drinks at a pub, which were fine, and then going to a nightclub where I had a beer. The rest is a blank. It is really scary," he said, adding that he had been robbed.

Arnold said he could not remember anything after drinking the beer.