To combat drink spiking in the downtown Clemson area, the Clemson city police department is offering a reward of up to $3,000 for information leading to an arrest as of Oct. 1.

In a news release on Tuesday, city police reported that they had received word of drink spiking happening in downtown bars.

“The reporting parties suspect they had been drugged based on a variety of symptoms. A few received positive tests of foreign substances in their systems and we have an active investigation into these allegations,” the news release stated.

Drink spiking refers to drugs commonly known as “roofies” being slipped into people’s drinks. Along with city police, the Clemson University Police Department and downtown bars are working to tackle the problem.

“We have posted on social media along with CUPD to make people aware to pay attention to their surroundings. We will be posting on Crime Stoppers and a reward will be offered by Crime Stoppers for any information leading to an arrest of anyone involved,” Matt Culbreath, a city police captain, told The Tiger in an interview.

CUPD sent an email to all Clemson students regarding the issue on Sept. 19, telling students to “be vigilant of drink spiking.”

“We’ve been very made aware of the issue by the police department, and we’ve made all our employees aware of it: our door guys, all our security guys. Everybody is keeping extra, extra watch,” John Agostino, known throughout Clemson as “Mr. Wein,” the owner of Itsurweiner Restaurant & Bar, told The Tiger in an interview.

Roar Bar & Tacos, established in downtown Clemson in August 2023, is also taking specific initiatives to confront the issue.

“First off, we have started offering lids for all cups to ensure that you are safely consuming your drinks. We are also checking bags at the entrance and implementing random searches to ensure that drinks are not being sneaked in that have already been tampered with,” Roar Bar & Tacos told The Tiger in an email.

Roar noted that they have increased communication with both CUPD and city police regarding information on incidents, leads and the location of potential suspects.

The Tiger asked Culbreath for information on who is spiking drinks, the number of people drugged in recent weeks and the kind of drug being used.

“We will not be releasing that information while any possible drugging case is under investigation,” Culbreath said.
Mr. Wien noted that Itsurwiener is communicating with people, especially “ladies,” about the issue as they enter the bar. Itsurwiener staff encourages people not to leave their drink unattended but rather to take their drink with them if they walk away or have a friend keep watch.

“We’re doing just about everything we can do,” Mr. Wein told The Tiger. “It just turns my stomach that somebody can do something like that and I can’t wait until we catch the one or more people that are doing it. We’re gonna catch them one way or another.”

The email from CUPD provided a list of safety tips for students when drinking in environments such as parties, restaurants or bars. CUPD warns people not to take drinks from strangers (especially if they cannot see it being poured), cautions against drinking another’s drink, highlights extra caution around drinks that are easy to drug — such as ones in punch bowls or similar containers — and emphasizes paying note if a drink tasting different than usual.

CUPD encourages students to “be an active bystander” and to look out for each other. “You can play a powerful role in helping other people stay safe,” the email stated.

“We are actively encouraging all students to submit any information pertaining to the drink spiking, as we feel it’s a city-wide issue that potentially is being done by other students,” Roar Bar & Tacos told The Tiger. “Students should not be afraid to come forward with information that could potentially lead to holding the people responsible accountable.”

South Carolina classifies spiking another’s drink or food as a felony. It is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Suspected drink spiking can be reported to CUPD at (864) 656-2222 for on-campus occurrences, city police at (864) 624-2000 for occurrences in the city, by calling or texting 911 for emergencies and by submitting anonymous tips to Oconee County Crime Stoppers at www.oconeesccrimestoppers.com or (884) 712-7463. Safety resources are available at Clemson.edu/CUSafety.