MIDDLE TENNESSEE - Tennessee has a new law making it a Class D felony to intentionally tamper with someone’s drink, food or medication to cause involuntary intoxication. The Drink-Spiking Prevention Act went into effect July 1.
Rachel Freeman, CEO of the Sexual Assault Center in nearby Nashville, said the law sends a clear message that drink spiking is illegal and this marks a significant step toward reducing the crime in Tennessee. Freeman noted the original bills included a requirement for bars to provide drink-testing devices but the provision was removed from the final version...
Freeman reported the national average of people who choose to report sexual assault is between 28% and 32%, but because of the partnership between the Sexual Assault Center and the Metro Nashville Police Department, she added, the reporting rate among people who come into the center’s 24-hour Sexual Assault Forensic Exam Clinic is 70%. Area hospitals providing forensic exams are seeing similar numbers, she noted.
The clinic provides trauma-informed rape exams for survivors 16 and older, with a victim advocate on staff at all times.
Freeman stressed many assaults in downtown Nashville involve alcohol and the center operates a Safe Bar program to help keep patrons at local bars safe and support survivors. She underscored the center recently trained its 100th location on a bystander intervention prevention program, equipping bar and hospitality staff with tools to recognize sexual assault or harassment...
Freeman pointed out last year, 25% of the people who came into their clinic believed their drink had been tampered with and many had experienced sexual assault at a nightlife venue in Middle Tennessee.
Again, the new law went into effect at the start of this month.
Summary: Tennessee law already made it a crime to tamper with food, drinks or medication with the intent to injure or kill someone, and the new measure expands that law to include tampering intended to cause involuntary intoxication. A person convicted of intentionally drugging someone’s food, beverage or medicine can now face a Class D felony, punishable by two to 12 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. Earlier versions of the bill would also have required bars and other licensed establishments to keep drink-testing strips available for customers, but those requirements were removed before the bill received final approval. As a result, the final law strengthens criminal penalties for drink spiking but does not require businesses to provide drug-testing devices.
