Dr Lata Gautam

Know Your Rights: Spiking Is Never OK

Spiking is a crime. You have the right not to be spiked:

• You have the right to decide what you eat and drink and what goes into your body.
• You should not have to change your behaviour to avoid being spiked.
• You should not have to avoid bars or clubs or cover your drink at all times.

What is Spiking?

Spiking is when someone puts alcohol, illicit drugs or medicines into another person’s drink, food or body without their consent or knowledge^7,12,13. Drink spiking is the most common type of spiking, and the most common drug used is alcohol². Other types of spiking include needling (or spiking via injection), vape/cigarette spiking, and food spiking^5,7,12.

Some examples of spiking are:

• Adding an extra shot of alcohol to someone’s drink
• Giving someone double shots when they asked for singles
• Adding alcohol to a non-alcoholic drink
• Adding higher strength alcohol to a lower strength drink
• Adding illicit or pharmaceutical drugs to someone’s drink, food or vape/cigarette
• Injecting illicit or pharmaceutical drugs into someone else’s body

Spiking is a Crime

Spiking is a serious crime with no justification whatsoever. It instils deep fear and distress in survivors, which can lead to severe and dangerous outcomes with possible long-term health issues. Regardless of the intention, spiking is illegal and carries a sentence of up to ten years in prison^4,7,12. If a robbery, sexual assault or other crime took place, the sentence may be even longer⁷.

How would I know if I have been spiked?

It is not always possible to tell through smell or taste^4,14 but if you notice a change in the appearance or taste of your drink, stop drinking it. If you are in a club, bar or other venue, let a member of staff or security know as soon as you can.

There are no spiking-specific symptoms. However, the following may indicate that you could have been spiked^3,4,7,13,14:

• Confusion
• Feeling very drunk after little or no alcohol
• Sudden changes in body temperature (e.g. fever or chills)
• Feeling disoriented
• Poor coordination
• Loss of balance
• Nausea (feeling sick)
• Problems with vision
• Unconsciousness

These symptoms would usually start soon after being spiked (within 15 minutes) but can vary depending on what substance was used to spike you and how your body reacts to it⁷. The physical symptoms you feel can last for several hours.

Since the symptoms can vary, and they can feel like being drunk, they can be difficult to spot. If you start to feel strange, unwell or more drunk than you think you should feel, let someone know and ask for help as soon as you can.

How spiking can make you feel

You may also experience a range of emotions after someone spikes you. These can last longer than the physical effects but are all normal responses to a traumatic experience. You may feel angry or betrayed if someone you know spiked you. The following emotions and reactions have been reported in cases of spiking⁷:

• Shock
• Guilt
• Frustration
• Anxiety (especially around going out and socialising)
• Sadness
• Depression
• Isolation

Everyone reacts to spiking in different ways — there is no right or wrong way to feel — and in any case, you are not to blame for being spiked. If you are struggling with any of these feelings and would like to reach out for extra support, there are some organisations and resources in the support section below (see Section 9).

What to do if you think you’ve been spiked

If you or a friend think you’ve been spiked^3–5,7,8:

• Let a member of staff or security know if you’re in a venue such as a club, bar, or at a festival.
• If there is evidence like a drink or needle, keep hold of it if you can.
• Get somewhere you feel safe and stay together.
• You may want to report it to the police or seek medical attention first.
• If you need urgent medical attention, call an ambulance (999) or find your nearest urgent care service here.
• Go home with people that you trust or trusted groups or services until the effects wear off.
• Get someone you trust to stay with you until the effects of the alcohol/drugs wear off – this can take a few hours.

If you decide to report it to the police, they may collect forensic samples, e.g. urine, to test for drugs, up to 4 days after the incident. Even if you were tested in a hospital or by your GP for treatment, the police will still ask you to have a forensic test if you report within this 4-day timeframe, as this test can be used as evidence⁷ in a criminal investigation.

If you think you have been spiked with a needle, you may be advised to speak to your GP or a sexual health clinic to be tested for blood borne viruses — although the risk of contracting one from a spiking incident is low¹⁰.

Reporting Spiking

You can report spiking to the police or the university, anonymously or non-anonymously. Reporting may:

• Help resolve your case
• Support your emotional recovery
• Help prevent future incidents

Details of supporting options are included in the toolkit. To use the toolkit in your area, please customise it with supporting information relevant to your institution/area.

Where can I find support?

Support can be accessed at any time and includes university services, external support for victims of any crime, and mental health support. These include:

• University counselling and wellbeing services
• Sexual Violence Advocacy Service (SVA)
• Victim Support
• My Support Space
• Victim Services for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
• Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs)
• Samaritans
• Shout (text-based support)
• Student Minds and Student Space

Details of reporting options are included in the toolkit. To use the toolkit in your area, please customise it with supporting information relevant to your institution/area.

Myth Busting

References