The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

a1 economist sunsuntribune police saturday oct 29 2005 eublicationmailagfeementmofloieia- date rape drug making rounds crisis centre says cases not always reported to police by teresa latchford staff writer women in york region are being warned not to accept drinks from strangers after in one week the regions crisis line received calls from five women who have been victims of the date rape drug all of the accounts have been similar according to michelle smith executive director of the womens support network of york region each of the women had gone to a local bar had a drink only remember bits and pieces of the night and woke up in an unfamiliar place none of the five incidents are currently related except for the drug that may have been used being the only crisis centre in the region we have a responsibility to inform the public that this is going on she said the official name for the drug is gammahydroxybutyrate or ghb for short according to wwwhealthorg it comes in the form of a powder capsule or liquid that is clear odourless and has a subtle salty taste ghb has gained popularity and is used by many teenagers as a recreational drug at raves but was once marketed for athletes since it has weight loss and muscle devel opment capabilities given in large quantities ghb produces a feeling of being intoxi cated and when mixed with alco hol the feeling is intensified the drug also decreases social inhibi tions and increases sexual drive however a large dose can cause a loss of consciousness irregular breathing tremors coma and even death despite the recent rash of calls to the crisis line incidents involving ghb have not been seen lately by the police york regional police det brian bigras said in 2000 we had a number of cases involving the drug he added but it has kind of taken a back seat lately and its not occurring often even though the drug is illegal it is accessible through dealers or homemade production det bigras said the shame a woman feels after an incident could be behind the limited reports to police ms smith said after an experience like this many women tend to blame them selves and dont come forward its not their fault she added they call the crisis line because it is anonymous we support them and let them know what their options are those options include going to the hospital to get tested calling the police calling the crisis line for counseling or talking to someone in the community they trust but the onus shouldnt be just on the women going out mssmith contin ued there are specially made coast ers available on the market that can help people detect chemicals in their drink by simply sticking a fin ger in a drink and wiping it on the coaster a colour change in the coaster indicates the presence of a chemical substance any woman with a similar expe riences needs to come forward because ms smith said women need to let people in the communi ty know of the potential of ongoing problems that need to be addressed the crisis line 18008636734 is staffed 24 hoursaday seven- daysaweek and anyone who has experienced a similar situation is encouraged to call for support safety tips get educated on the subject via the internet or the womens support network never leave your drink unat tended and keep your hand over the top if possible if someone is going to buy you a drink friend or stranger go to the bar and get the bartender to hand the drink directly to you dont go out alone go in a group of people student hur t in machete attack a 17yearold student was left with a nasty gash on his arm and another one on the back of his head after a machete attack outside milliken mills secondary school thursday night the student was leaving a night- school class with a friend just after 930 pm when he was approached outside the kennedy road school by four masked men carrying machetes he was struck in the head and arm before the assailants took off the student was taken to hospital with nonlifethreatening injuries that included a cut on the back of his head and another on his arm requiring 20 stitches police brought out dogs and the york regional police helicopter catching up with a group of four young men shortly after the attack they found three machetes in the area a quantity of ecstasy and debit card skimming equipment none were enrolled in night classes at milliken andpolice could not confirm what led to the attack three men from scarborough 18 19 and 20 years old along with a 17-year- old from markham face several charges including assault causing bodily harm and assault with a weapon corrections safety village party today there was an incorrect date pub lished for the community safety village halloween party in thursdays editions the party at bruces mill conservation authority in whitchurchstouffville is today from 5 to 8 pm the economist sun regrets the error st patrick finishes eighth flowervale first in eq results incorrect information was supplied regarding the public and catholic school board eqao results published thursday and last sunday in the catholic grade 6 results st patrick school in markham finished eighth overall with an average of 89 in the public board results flower- vale public school inthornhill finished first in the grade 3 tests with an average of93 it was among five schools tied for second in the grade 6 results with an 88 in reading 94 in writing 88 in math and an average of 90 the economist sun regrets the errors f