Billerica woman believes she was drugged during concert in Boston

A Massachusetts woman believes she was drugged while out at a concert in Boston.

Andrea Butler, who lives in Billerica, went into Boston on Wednesday night for a concert with five of her friends. She says she had one drink at the House of Blues bar.

Once they left the show, her friends noticed that something was off. Butler’s tongue was bright blue.

Butler said by the end of the night, she was extremely sick and doesn’t remember getting home or talking to her family. She told NBC10 Boston she woke up Thursday still feeling foggy and “floaty” and was seeing things that weren’t there.

“To have something like this happen and to know it can happen to anybody and it happens all the time it’s disgusting. And it’s very very scary again I have girls so it’s all I think about is what could happen to them,” she said.

Butler believes someone put something in her drink. But when she tried to report it, Billerica police told her she’d need to make her report to Boston Police, because that’s where it happened. Butler said Boston police had already told her they couldn’t take the report over the phone, and that she would have to report it in person.

Because she was still feeling the effects Thursday, and with two kids and a job, Butler said getting from Billerica to Boston to file that report hasn’t been easy.

NBC10 Boston has reached out to House of Blues for their response. Boston police told NBC10 Boston that Butler can report the incident to any station in the city.

Butler’s experience happened just before Halloween weekend, a time when Boston police urge revelers to be on alert for spiked drinks. The drugs used are typically colorless and odorless, so they are difficult to detect.

To reduce the risk of being drugged, Boston police suggest the following:

• Only take drinks from bar staff or servers, and never accept open drinks from strangers.
• Never leave your drink unattended
• Consider using drink covers or using rapid-testing strips, which are designed to detect these drugs
• Know the symptoms, which include unexplained dizziness, nausea, confusion and disorientation, or sudden intoxication inconsistent with the amount of alcohol you’ve had
• Look out for friends or anyone who seems vulnerable, distressed, or disoriented

“The Boston Police Department emphasizes that anyone who suspects their beverage has been tampered with, or who witnesses suspicious behavior in or around entertainment venues, should contact 911 immediately. Victims of suspected drink spiking are urged to seek emergency medical attention and report the incident promptly to assist ongoing investigations,” Boston police wrote in its Halloween weekend warning.