Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Naples Blue Martini - Seventeen Claims of "Drugging"

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Seventeen patrons "drugged" at Naples Blue Martini?

I'd love to see proof. Seventeen people have all the proof they need.
It's all too easy to claim one was drugged. It's not as easy to disprove it, days or months later. That's the problem in a martini glass.

Since a Naples Daily News article mentioned three people allegedly drugged at Naples' Blue Martini, fourteen others claimed to have also been drugged there. Apparently, none of these people visited an emergency room, or had samples of blood and urine analyzed for drugs.

There's no pattern so far as to why they and not their companions were drugged, where along the line their drinks were spiked, or who their bartender/servers were.
People have different tolerances for alcohol. Mix that in with whatever medications they were taking (or not taking), lack of sleep, dehydration, and other contributing factors, and there may be more to the story.

Most of the people probably have valid claims. Something shockingly out of the ordinary happened to them while at Blue. Friends witnessed their alcohol consumption and their change in behavior. That is very serious, and needs to be explained.

Sadly, some may make a face-saving or frivolous claim. Being "drugged" excuses people from doing things or saying things they later regretted. Innocent people are fined or jailed based on unsubstantiated claims or flimsy "evidence". One is innocent till proven guilty. Let the police investigate. May any future "drugged" people contact the police and have toxicology studies promptly done.
I have no connection with Blue Martini or with those who feel they were drugged. I just don't like to see anyone falsely accused. Similarly, I pray there's not a sociopath who spiked seventeen people's drinks. For a while, people in Naples will keep a closer eye on whoever mixes their drinks.

3 comments:

You Know Who said...

I hate to see people falsely accused as well. But to play the devil's advocate, given what you say, "People have different tolerances for alcohol. Mix that in with whatever medications they were taking (or not taking), lack of sleep, dehydration, and other contributing factors, and there may be more to the story." people all over the U.S. eating at restaurants worldwide would theoretically claim to be drugged. Interesting that there are 17 claims from one restaurant. How come the restaurant down the street doesn't have an equal number of 'drugging' claims? Food for thought...

Ivan Seligman said...

Having this happen to people at only one bar is powerful food for thought. I agree.

Since posting this, I heard from a friend in the restaurant business who months ago heard of a several experiences at Blue Martini, however they were not reported at the time.

Toxicologists feel that nearly any of the "mickies" given to people can be detected in bodily fluids for hours after the drugging. If people delay for days, there will be nothing left.

Unknown said...

Drink spiking is scarily on the rise. Often with no motive other than 'for the fun of it'. I'm in Washington State and was drugged in Jan 2010. Had one drink in a nice nightclub and 30 minutes later was blacked out for 15 hours. I started an awareness campaign, if anyone wants to join, our page on Facebook is http://www.facebook.com/SafeLibations