NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — There's a growing number of patrons who believe they have been drugged while visiting bars and restaurants, the Sexual Assault Center in Nashville is continuing to raise awareness of its Safe Bar Program.
The initiative has already made strides in raising awareness, with 14 bars and restaurants in the area undergoing training to combat sexual harassment and assault, but some want to see that number grow.
One such establishment, Fat Bottom Brewing, which initially opened its doors in East Nashville in 2012 before relocating to the Nations neighborhood, has fully embraced the program.
Joe Guerra, the director of hospitality at Fat Bottom, commended the Safe Bar Program for increasing staff awareness and their ability to closely monitor their surroundings.
Guerra is also trained and helps train the new employees.
The Safe Bar Program, started in 2018, involves the Sexual Assault Center working hand in hand with bar and restaurant staff to educate them on how to identify and safely intervene when they encounter incidents of sexual harassment or assault at their establishments.
"About 25 to 40% of the people who come to our clinic report that they believe that they were drugged. Now, I say they believe that because it is difficult to test. We do have testing for it. But these drugs go through the system very quickly," said Catherine Barkley, the director of development for the Sexual Assault Center.
The difficulty of testing for drugging underscores the importance of proactive prevention measures.
Efforts are now underway to encourage more businesses serving alcohol to get involved in the program. In a promising development, Metro Council has approved a $75,000 grant to increase awareness of the Safe Bar Program.
Additionally, the grant will aid in the development of a mobile app that will indicate which bars and restaurants are participating in the program.
"There is giving the staff and bartenders and security the confidence for how to intervene. It's also making patrons feel safer. But it's also a deterrent," said Barkley.
The overarching goal is to prevent incidents of harassment and assault before they occur.
Guerra serves as the director of hospitality at Teddy's Tavern and Lucky Duck Lounge, two other venues that have successfully completed the Safe Bar Program.
"Become a safe bar, and then the cost pays itself back. I mean, I've had employees that are like nobody's down on Broadway or nobody in this part of town does this. We're so thankful that you take the time to do this."
There are a numberof other bars and restaurants in Tennessee participating in similar programs stretching from Memphis to Knoxville.
The Sexual Assault Center is also working with hotels to train staff through the program.
