Boston Police issue warning of drink spiking during St Patrick's Day weekend
Boston Police are reminding the public to remain vigilant for drink spiking this St Patrick's Day weekend.
'The parade is welcoming and SAFE to all attendees, and should NOT compromise the quality of life for South Boston residents, Boston Police said in a release. 'At the parade, public drinking, providing alcohol to minors, and open containers of alcohol in public is illegal and will lead to the seizure of alcohol and arrest,' Boston police said.
GHB, Ketamine, and Rohypnol, commonly known as 'roofies', are scentless, colorless, and tasteless drugs that can be secretly placed in beverages.
2025 South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade: Everything you need to know
To help ensure safety, Boston police are providing the following tips:
Always have your drink served directly by a bartender or server. Avoid accepting drinks from people you do not know or trust.
Keep your drink in sight at all times. Never leave it unattended.
If you need to leave your table, take your drink with you—even to the restroom.
Cover your drink when you are not actively drinking. Many innovative products are available to help safeguard your beverage.
Consider using drink-testing tools such as test strips or nail polish that detect the presence of drugs.
Seek immediate assistance if you feel dizzy, nauseous, light-headed, or otherwise unwell.
Watch for unusual behavior in friends and acquaintances, and be cautious of strangers attempting to separate individuals from their group.
If you see someone who appears distressed, wandering alone late at night, or dressed inappropriately for the weather, contact local authorities immediately.
Boston Police are urging anyone who has fallen victim to drink spiking or any other criminal activity to contact them.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mass. driver arrested after alleged road rage incident, vehicle shot at on I-190
A Massachusetts driver has been arrested after an alleged road rage incident on Monday during which shots were fired at another vehicle as it traveled along Interstate 190 in Holden. Marcus Trujillo, 45, of Fitchburg, was arrested in Grafton following the incident, state police said. Charges will be forthcoming. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday in Leominster District Court. At approximately 8:20 a.m. Monday, a driver reported the alleged road rage incident on Interstate 190 south before Exit 4 to state police, state police said. The driver told state police that another driver of a Ford F250 pointed a firearm at the victim and fired at their vehicle, state police said. Troopers met with the victim, who was not injured. Investigators saw damage to the victim's vehicle consistent with their report. Investigators later identified the Ford F250 and located Trujillo on Sunrise Avenue in Grafton, where he was arrested without incident. State police said cell phone video provided by the victim helped lead investigators to Trujillo. Troopers assigned to the Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section and the Worcester County State Police Detective Unit assisted with his arrest. The incident remains under investigation. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Five people hospitalized after police chase reaches 130 mph, ends in crash in Mass. city
Five people are in the hospital after state police say they led troopers on a high-speed chase in southern Massachusetts State police troopers reported a white BMW X5 traveling south on Route 24 at over 100 miles per hour. A trooper attempted to stop the speeding car but the driver accelerated away, eventually reaching speeds around 130 miles per hour as it raced down Route 24, a state police spokesperson told Boston 25 News. A short time later, the driver lost control and the vehicle crashed in Taunton. First responders arrived and treated the five injured people. They were taken to nearby hospitals in stable condition, police say. The investigation into the incident is ongoing and police say charges will be announced at a later date. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cape Cod family pushing for mandatory short-term rental inspections following Airbnb tragedy
A Cape Cod family is pushing for mandatory inspections of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors after a devastating tragedy at an Airbnb in New York. 35-year-old Shannon Hubbard and her 1-year-old daughter, Maggie Hubbard, were killed in a fire at that rental in Clinton, NY, last October. The homeowners, Dennis and Meredith Darcy, have been charged with second-degree manslaughter for allegedly lying about the presence of smoke detectors in the Airbnb listing. Tim Waldron, of Orleans, told Boston 25 News the deaths of his daughter and granddaughter have prompted him to advocate for the safety of other families. Waldron recently testified about his heartbreak and urgent concern for others at a State House hearing for the Maggie Hubbard Safety Act. It would require that all short-term rentals in Massachusetts are inspected for compliance with approved smoke and carbon monoxide detectors within one year before renting. 'I realized every single one of the towns had different laws, so it was very much patchwork regulations,' said Waldron. Waldron sat down with Boston 25 News on what would've been his daughter's 36th birthday. The Chatham Elementary teacher and her infant daughter died after what had been a beautiful family weekend in the short-term rental. It took a heartbreaking turn after Waldron left on Sunday afternoon. That night, Waldron's son-in-law, a Dennis Police officer, put a log in the wood stove and then went out into the hot tub with Shannon. 'They were out there for about 20, 30 minutes, just really enjoying the night while the kids were in. After about 20 or 30 minutes, they smelled smoke,' said Waldron. Shannon rushed into the room where their infant daughter was sleeping and got trapped inside. Her husband and their three-year-old son escaped, but firefighters were not able to save Shannon and Maggie in time. Fire investigators later determined that the home had no working fire alarms, contrary to what the Airbnb listing stated. 'If smoke detectors had gone off that evening, they would have heard them 20 or 30 minutes before they smell the smoke, and it would been no issue,' he said. Waldron is now determined to expose what he calls an unregulated self-reporting system of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in short-term rentals. He believes travelers can't trust what the Airbnb and VRBO listing says because there aren't inspections to prove it. 'We're talking about something that could prevent a death,' explained Waldron. 'You should have to have some level of an inspection done by a fire safety individual.' Orleans State Representative Hadley Luddy filed the Maggie Hubbard Rental Safety Act in the House of Representatives, and Cape Senator Julian Cyr filed it in the Senate. 'The safety measures just really are not monitored at a level that's actually ensuring that we can go into buildings or rental situations and know that we're safe,' said Rep. Luddy with the 4th Barnstable district. Rep. Luddy's district stretches from Harwich to Provincetown, where the number of short-term rentals has increased by thousands in recent years. She said a large percentage of them aren't registered with towns. 'We don't want to see any more unnecessary deaths like the two lives lost here,' said the first-time legislator. 'If I could be a part of knowing that there would be more preventable situations like this in the future, it would mean a lot to me personally.' Rep. Luddy is working with fire departments and town managers on the Cape to determine who would do these inspections. She told Boston 25 News that it may vary in each community and would likely involve a fee for those listing short-term rentals. The State Fire Marshal's Office issued the following statement to Boston 25 News in support of the legislation: 'Working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms have prevented countless tragedies in Massachusetts and around the world. They are vital life safety tools and should be installed on every level of every living space, whether it's short-term, long-term, or permanent.' 'It reminds them that there are steps you need to take, that you need dot your I's and cross your T's to make sure the home you're renting to people is as safe as it could possibly be,' said Waldron. Waldron said this law would also mean that his daughter's legacy and granddaughter's name live on eternally by protecting others. 'My granddaughter was perfect, right? She had the beautiful smile. She had the best giggle. If you saw or heard either one of them, you'd never forget it,' he added. 'It's a loss that I'll carry with me every day.' Boston 25 News reached out to Airbnb and VRBO for comment and have not heard back. The owners of the New York Airbnb rental have pleaded not guilty to second-degree manslaughter. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
