In the video,
the TikToker talks about all the
red flags she "should've noticed" when she got drugged at a bar
, and the video went viral.
@jessica_higgss
red flags i should’ve noticed earlier when my drink was spiked at the club last night #spiked #club #redflag #redflags #danger #girls #attention #notice #list #payattention #coveryourdrink #warning #sketchy #men #foryou #fyp #drvgged #advice #learn #support #safe #learnfrommymistakes #ohno #safety
On February 1, 2023, Higgs went to a Niagara Region bar, where Wednesdays are typically themed nights that she and her friends have enjoyed many times before — "though I wish I never went," she told Narcity.
"It took a bit of time to come to terms with what truly happened that night, and when I did, I was terrified," the Brock University student added.
Red flags
"The first one, you guys are definitely going to think that I'm super stupid because it's so obvious, but I left the drinks alone with the guys," she shared in the video.
The next red flag
the TikToker shared is how the guys took the bottle with them to the bathroom and, once back, would only give shots to the girls without drinking from it themselves.
The 19-year-old said another red flag she should've noticed was that the guys were following her around the bar, even though she was hanging out with other people. She also said their stories didn't add up. They were all sharing different things about where they lived, for example.
She knew she was drugged after recognizing how drunk she had gotten on a few drinks. Once a sober friend had picked her up from the bar, they had to pull the car over so that Higgs could throw up, she explained, adding that this was unusual for her. The next day, the TikToker said she was "messed up."
"I knew that the risk of having your drink spiked was a constant issue for women all over, but I never thought that it would happen when I'm surrounded by friends in a local club that I was familiar with," the TikToker told Narcity.
What happened next?
She has become more cautious since and said she "used to be scared" to seem "uptight" around others when being a cautious drinker. "But, I now know that I will always rather be known as the cautious girl than the girl who wasn't cautious enough," the university student shared.
Higgs told her story online to raise awareness and to share her mistakes with others "to hopefully avoid the same outcome."
"As terrifying as that experience is, I was lucky because I got out safely and am both physically and mentally well enough to share my experience and continue with my life," she said.
The TikToker was initially afraid to post the video, but afterwards, when a flood of positive messages filled the comments section, she felt "heard and understood."
"Jessica, it's not your fault," someone said. "Thank you for talking about this. Too many people miss red flag. These things happen all the time. You're the only one who can look out for yourself," another said.
"Bestie it's not your fault. It's not your fault at all and I'm glad you are safe," a person commented.
"As a guy I wouldn't trust those guys to buy me drinks. If it seems too good then something is wrong. But you live and learn," a TikToker added.
Overall, "It sparks such conflicting feelings seeing the number of women who can relate; it's both comforting knowing I'm not alone and daunting for the same reason," Higgs concluded.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
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