A visitor posted an urgent warning in the Nashville Visitors Facebook Group on September 20th that has locals and tourists talking. The message was simple but alarming: “Watch your drinks. We just came back from a birthday celebration weekend and one person in our group was hospitalized. We are thinking their drink was spiked with something.”
The post quickly gained attention, with dozens of people sharing their own experiences and concerns about Broadway's safety.
The Reality According to Locals
The comments revealed something troubling – this isn't an isolated incident. Multiple locals confirmed that drink spiking happens frequently in Nashville's downtown area.
One longtime Nashville resident put it bluntly: “This is on the news weekly. Tourists getting roofied, blackout drunk tourists trying to jump between rooftop bars, blackout drunk tourists falling in the river and drowning.”
Another local mentioned they've lived in Nashville for years and “it happens a lot sadly.”
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Read more →Growing Concerns About Downtown Safety
The comments revealed widespread concern about safety on Broadway. Multiple people shared that they've either experienced similar incidents or know others who have.
One person mentioned they “stopped going to downtown” because of these safety concerns, while another noted they always watch their drinks “even when the bartender is making them.”
The Hospital Testing Issue
The original poster mentioned the hospital didn't run proper tests to confirm drink tampering. This sparked discussion about testing procedures.
A healthcare worker explained that “hospital ERs do not test for date rape drugs. They are not part of a urine drug screen panel.” Another commenter suggested asking for a forensic nurse or contacting police for proper crime lab testing.
Safety Recommendations Pour In
Experienced visitors and locals shared practical safety tips:
- Never let anyone buy you a drink or accept drinks from strangers
- Keep your drink in sight at all times, even when the bartender is making it
- Consider bringing test strips that can detect common drugs used in drink spiking
- Stick to bottled or canned drinks where you can keep a finger over the opening
- Avoid leaving drinks unattended while dancing
- Broadway is considered safer during daylight hours
The Broader Safety Picture
Many commenters expressed that Broadway has changed over the years. One person noted that “Broadway isn't what it used to be” and that hospitals “deal with this so much but nothing to do about it.”
A local recommended that visitors “find out where all the tourists go, including Broadway, and then go elsewhere,” describing the strip as “overcrowded, overpriced tourist traps.”
What Visitors Should Know
The consensus from locals is clear – this is a real problem that happens regularly. The overall message from the community was one of caution when visiting Broadway.
Several people pointed out that drink spiking happens in major cities everywhere, not just Nashville. But the frequency of reports from Broadway specifically has created ongoing safety concerns that locals are well aware of.
The incident serves as a reminder that even in a popular tourist destination, visitors need to stay alert and take precautions to protect themselves and their friends.
Happened to my daughter and her friend. 2 Hispanic men tried to tell security they were with them but thankfully the security guard knew they weren’t!! The men took off running. Probably sex traffickers according to the security man. It makes me sick to think of what could have happened to them. Said that is a huge problem down there as well.
This happened to me in Nashville ,I went to the patriots game last year and went to couple bars after ,I was at kid rock bar and was drinking a beer in a bottle and woke up on a stretcher with the back of my head split open from hitting the floor ,I Told emt and ER doctor I was drugged at the bar and absolutely nothing was done about it !!!!