Sting attacks are coming to our parties! What if this happens to you?
Sting attacks are becoming more and more common in France. Many cases have been reported in bars, nightclubs, concerts and festivals. 800 complaints have already been filed in France, as indicated by the National Police Directorate, DGPN. At the start of the summer season, this situation worries partygoers! As of June 16, more than 1000 victims suffered sting attacks. But the investigation promises to be difficult since the police still cannot explain these attacks. Especially since of the hundreds of reported cases no trace of GHB was detected. Being present for only 12 hours in the urine and only a few hours in the blood, it becomes very difficult to detect it.
As for the victims, they are chosen randomly. On June 7, a briefing note from the DGPN described “an operator mode” that makes no gender distinction. The victims are stung in the arms, buttocks or back, in all discretion. If you feel that you have been stung, get to safety with your group of friends. Above all, let them know what just happened and don’t walk away from them. If you are alone, you must alert the staff from where you are.
What to do next ?
Depending on your state, you have two options: either go to the emergency room or call the police for her to come get you. “And we cannot say that this or that option is better, because it depends on how you feel” specifies Eina, member of the Heo.ïnes 95 collective at HuffPost. If you feel that you are unwell and that you are in danger of fainting, call 18 or 15. If your condition is stable and you are not experiencing strong symptoms, then you should call 17 to file a complaint. “It is essential, it is this filing of a complaint that will allow toxicological samples and the rest of the procedure” says the Ministry of the Interior. Internet users who have already been victims of such an attack advise take a picture of the bite and note the time, which will constitute evidence for your complaint. If you don’t want to go that far, you should still go to the emergency room to make sure you don’t have need for HIV prophylaxis. But it is not not the only risk, nor the most important. “The risk of contamination by the hepatitis B virus is much greater” says Leila Chaouachi, pharmacist at the Journal des Femmes. She specifies all the same that it is useless to fall “into psychosis”. In this summer season that begins, stay alert in the evening, watch your glasses and watch over your friends.