Sexual Assault Expert: Alcohol is #1 Date Rape Drug

Mike Domitrz responds to study indicating that college binge drinking often leads to sexual assault.

Milwaukee, WI (PRWEB) October 30, 2005 -- In a study released by Indiana State University, 40 percent of male college students take part in drinking games in order to take advantage of their opponents sexually. This study backs what Mike Domitrz, founder of The Date Safe Project and sexual assault expert, has been sharing with students for over a decade.

“The number one date rape drug ever to exist is alcohol,” said Domitrz “If you use alcohol, a drug, to influence the state of mind of a person who wouldn't engage in the sexual act with you sober, you are demonstrating the very definition of a date rape drug."

Domitrz's comments are in response to an article titled "Study: Binge drinking, sexual assaults mix too often," by Mallory Moore that appeared in the October 27, 2005 issue of The Kentucky Kernel.
   
The study also indicates that 30 percent of male college students who play drinking games do so to get opponents drunk and 20 percent actually admitted to having assaulted an opponent after a drinking game.
   
Domitrz asserts that the statistics of the study should motivate America to “wake up to the reality of how often alcohol is being used to rape,” and that the study’s findings further emphasize the importance of consent, a key component of The Date Safe Project’s message.
   
“Consent ideally means two people making a comfortable and mutual decision together when both are in a healthy state of mind - not intoxicated,” said Domitrz. “If every student believed in the importance of consent and that he or she must obtain consent before engaging in a sexual act, you would not see the use of alcohol so prevalent as a date rape drug.”
   
Domitrz is a nationally-recognized speaker and author. He became an advocate for sexual assault survivors following the rape of his sister in 1989. His “Can I Kiss You?” presentation covers the delicate issues of healthy dating, misconceptions about body language, the importance of asking permission, the influence of alcohol, the trauma of sexual assault, and the significance of respect.
   
This year, The Date Safe Project unveiled its “Pledge to Protect” program, in which students announce their support for others and promise to help peers who find themselves in potentially dangerous situations (including the presence of alcohol). They also vocalize their support for those who have survived a sexual assault. Domitrz presents the Pledge to Protect at the end of his program “Can I Kiss You?” when visiting schools and universities.
   
“We can't simply say sexual assault is a horrific crime and then not do anything about it,” said Domitrz. “[We must] start by teaching respect for human life, the need to always have consent, and by looking out for others.”
   
To learn more about The Date Safe Project, visit www.TheDateSafeProject.org.

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