Being ‘spiked’ is when someone has put drugs or alcohol into your drink without your knowledge or consent. There is a risk of this happening to you when you go out to nightclubs and bars and is often linked to sexual assault or robbery. Drink spiking is an illegal offence, with a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison.
Here are some of our top tips to prevent this from happening to you or your friends on your next night out.
- Do not accept drinks from strangers
- Be vigilant, do not leave your drinks unaccompanied and watch the bartender make your drink
- Do not drink your drink if it looks, smells, or tastes different to usual
- Stick to bottled drinks and avoid big opened drinks such as jugs and cocktail bowls
- Buy an anti drink spiking stopper for you and your friends to put in the top of your drinks. This is a really cheap yet effective mode of prevention and some bars give them out for free.
Be sure to seek medical attention if you suspect you or a friend have been spiked. Check out talktofrank.com to learn more about the appearance and effects of recreational drugs.
References
NHS (2018) Drink spiking and date rape drugs. Available from https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/drink-spiking-and-date-rape-drugs/ [accessed 24 January 2019]