Pharmacy Students Lead Initiative to Raise Awareness on Drug-Facilitated Assault

Midwestern University students are taking a stand against drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) with a new awareness initiative debuting on May 5. Organized by the Downers Grove Campus chapter of the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP), Operation Substance Use Disorder team, will offer a presentation that will tackle the intersection of substance use and sexual violence, providing students with vital knowledge and prevention strategies.

"We don’t talk about this issue in the ways we should," said Kanon Huffman, a third-year pharmacy student (CPDG ’26) and lead organizer of the event. "I learned about some of these preventative measures from my mom, who passed them down from hers. We need to be comfortable discussing this subject to spread accurate information and resources that encourage individual autonomy and safety."

Kanon and her co-organizer, Sidney Schweikhard (CPDG ’27), have been working on the initiative for several months.

Student-Led Advocacy Increases Understanding and Prevention
The presentation will include national statistics, case studies, interactive components, and a video. Participants will leave with an understanding of the most commonly used substances in DFSA, including alcohol, GHB, benzodiazepines, and ketamine, along with methods of prevention such as drink testing strips and protective covers.  

"I had no idea how these substances worked," said Sofia Krytsun (CPDG ’27), a student involved in the initiative. "I’ve already learned so much just by helping with the preparation for this presentation."

The organizers have also applied to present their work at the Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA) conference in the fall. “Drug facilitated sexual assault is scattered throughout movies, music, and the news. We talk about how devastating these assaults can be, but we often do not talk about the implications, methodology, or preventative tools that are available. Raising awareness is meant to help people make informed decisions and promote safety,” Kanon said. "We hope this is just the beginning of an ongoing conversation."