What is Drink Spiking?
Drink spiking is when someone puts drugs or alcohol into a person’s 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 GHB–also 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.
The primary aim is to impair the person’s 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.
How Common is Drink Spiking?
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 victim’s inability to recall events or fear of disbelief. For example, in a poll of young adults, 92% did not report it.
How Do Drinks Get Spiked?
Drinks can be spiked in various ways, and it usually happens in busy or dimly-lit environments where it’s hard to notice tampering. Here are common methods:
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Adding Drugs or Alcohol: A spiker can slip a substance into an unattended drink. They often choose busy settings where drinks are left unattended, making it easier to tamper without detection.
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Substitution: A spiker may offer a drink laced with substances under the guise of a normal drink. Accepting drinks from strangers or those you don’t trust increases this risk.
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Switching Drinks: A spiker might switch your drink with another that has been tampered with. This can occur when you’re distracted or not paying attention to your drink.
Pubs and nightclubs: 93%
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).
What Was My Drink Spiked With?
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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Alcohol: Adding extra alcohol to a non-alcoholic or low-alcohol drink can cause unexpected intoxication. This is the most common substance found in studies.
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Benzodiazepines: Drugs like Rohypnol (flunitrazepam), otherwise known as roofies or ruffy (sic) are powerful sedatives, often used in spiking due to their strong sedative effects.
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Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB): GHB, otherwise known as 'liquid ecstasy' or 'blue nitro' is a powerful depressant that can cause drowsiness, memory loss, and unconsciousness.
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Ketamine: Known for its use in veterinary medicine, Ketamine is also used illicitly to incapacitate victims due to its strong dissociative properties.
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Ecstasy (MDMA) or Molly: Dulls thinking, awareness and judgement.
Next: What are the Symptoms of Drink Spiking?
