Drink spiking is when someone puts drugs or alcohol into a personβs drink without their knowledge or consent. It can include putting alcohol into a non-alcoholic drink, adding extra alcohol to an alcoholic drink or slipping prescription or illegal drugs (such as tranquillisers, amphetamines or GHBβalso called liquid ecstasy) into an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink. It can be difficult to tell whether a drink has been spiked, as substances used for spiking usually have no taste, odour or colour.
Needle spiking (sometimes referred to as injection spiking) is where someone secretly injects, with a hypodermic needle, (or other form of administration e.g. combi-pen) a victim with a substance. This is a relatively new but worryingly increasing phenomenon for the past few years. There were 2,065 needle spiking incidents recorded by the police between 1 September 2021 and 31 July 2022.Β
The primary aim is to impair the personβs senses, making them vulnerable to crimes like theft, assault, or sexual assault. This illegal act often occurs in social settings like bars, clubs, and parties.
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Drink spiking has been going on for up to the past 30 years, and has been widespread for the past 15 years according to a young peoples' survey by the Alcohol Education Trust. It is a more frequent occurrence than many realise. Despite its serious implications, many cases go unreported due to fear or memory loss. Here are some alarming statistics that highlight the prevalence of drink spiking:
These statistics reflect only reported cases, suggesting that the actual number might be higher. Many incidents go unreported due to the victimβs inability to recall events or fear of disbelief. For example, in a poll of young adults, 92% did not report it.
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Drinks can be spiked in various ways, and it usually happens in busy or dimly-lit environments where itβs hard to notice tampering. Here are common methods:
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House parties: These are an easier environment for perpetrators since there's no bar staff to pour drinks and no CCTV.
Festivals: Likely more dangerous venue for spiking because of large scale, out-of-town locations, camping-over, and wide availability of drugs.
Hotspots: Nottinghamshire, Merseyside, Northumbria, Avon and Somerset, and Sussex (2021).
Drinks can be spiked with various substances, often chosen for their ability to impair judgment or cause unconsciousness. Common substances include:
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