Drink Spiking

What is drink spiking?

When a drink is spiked it means that alcohol or drugs (illegal or prescription) have been added to the drink without the person’s knowledge or approval. The substance can be added to any kind of drink, not just alcohol, very easily without the knowledge of the victim.

Myths about drinking spiking

‘Drink spiking is just a joke isn’t it?’

In some instances drinks are spiked by people who are friends who mistakenly think that this is funny and will be taken as a joke. Sometimes they do it to liven up a party, and they are really not aware of what a stupid thing it is to do this; it is illegal and can have dangerous, sometimes fatal consequences. However, drink spiking is most often used to try and sexually assault, rape or rob someone.

‘Only women are victims of drink spiking’

Anybody can be a victim of drink spiking. However, the most common victims are young women between the ages of 15 and 30. In 1 in 5 cases the victim is male. It is also a growing problem in the gay and lesbian community. The reality is that nobody is immune and everybody needs to be very careful and vigilant.

‘Women just say there drink has been spiked because they have got drunk and had sex with someone’

Whilst it is true that some women are sexually assaulted or raped when they are incapacitated because they have had too much alcohol or a combination of alcohol and drugs, there are women who have had their drink spiked deliberately to rape them. The problem is that by the time many women actually wake up and realize that something has happened to them that it can be too late for some drugs used to show in their system. And of course if their drink has been spiked with additional alcohol the only thing that will show in their systems is excessive alcohol and this can lead some professionals to just believe that they have had too much to drink, not that someone has deliberately set out to harm them. This leads some professionals to believe that drink spiking is just a myth – it isn’t

‘Drink spiking only happens in clubs’

There are many cases of drink spiking that happen at night clubs and pubs. However, there have also been incidents of drink spiking at private parties, school functions and restaurants. In cases of domestic violence and rape by known men victims sometimes report that they have had their drinks spiked in their own home or the home of the perpetrator. Drinks can be spiked anywhere and so always being careful is the only option.

‘Only illegal drugs are used to spike drinks’

The most common substance added to a drink is alcohol. Sometimes it’s added to a soft drink, or extra alcohol is added to an alcoholic drink. The next most common substances used to spike drinks are prescription drugs, which can be easily obtained. These include benzodiazepines, barbiturates, muscle relaxants and hypnotics such as Serapax, Valium, and Rohypnol.

Last but not least illegal drugs can also be used such as Ecstasy, LSD, GHB and Ketamine. The affects of all these can be very dangerous and it’s always important to get medical help.

The impacts of drink spiking?

When someone’s drink is spiked this is an abuse of trust and also leads to a felling of being completely out of control and powerless. Everybody will react or be impacted differently and this will be dependent on what substance has been added to their drink. Commonly people will:

Start to slur their speech
Feel sick and maybe vomit
Start to fall over because they lose their balance
Lose consciousness
Have problems with their breathing
Have lowered inhibitions – with some drugs its not unusual for someone to become very flirtatious and act in ways that they would not normally act.
Have memory loss or blackouts

Specific drugs impact in specific ways, and below you can see the most common impacts of Rohypnol, GHB, and Ketamine.

Rohypnol (also known as "Roofies, Ruffies, La Roche, R2, Rib, Rope")

It’s colorless, odorless and tasteless. It causes drowsiness, confusion, memory loss, blackouts and muscle relaxation. After ingestion, it begins to affect the person within 30 minutes. The results peak after 2 hours. Add alcohol to the mix and the effect lasts 8-24 hours. .

GHB (also known as "G, Easy Lay, Liquid X, Georgia Home Boy")

“G” is odorless and colorless. The drug is ideal for rapists since it gives a feeling of relaxation, sensuality and loss of inhibitions. Other effects include: dizziness, nausea, memory loss, seizure like activity and coma. GHB takes effect within 15 minutes of consumption and lasts for 3-6 hours, longer with alcohol. Large doses can induce sleep within 5-10 minutes.

Ketamine (also known as "K, Special K, Vitamin K, Kit Kat")

Known as Special K, ketamine causes hallucinations, vomiting, dizziness, flashbacks, increased heartrate, amnesia and dissociation (a feeling where the mind seems separated from the body). It is available in liquid, powder or pill form. Effects begin within 5-20 minutes and lasts for 2-8 hours.

What are the risks of drink spiking

The biggest risk is that most women do not believe themselves to be at risk of drink spiking. In addition once someone has consumed some alcohol and become ‘tipsy’ the risk is they become more blasé about leaving drinks unattended or accepting drinks from others who may spike their drinks. Men who spike drinks often befriend women first, building a relationship with them,, and the risk is that women then feel safeto accept a drink from him. Women also tend to judge the risk of drink spiking from a man’s personal appearance, however research shows that men who commit ‘drug assisted sexual assaults’ tend to be charming and well groomed. Drink spiking can lead to the risk of abduction, rape and sexual assault. Drink spiking can in some cases have serious health consequences, including the risk of death.

Help seeking and keeping safe

First and foremost it’s really important to think about safety before you go out with other people. Even though you can do things to prevent your drink being spiked you may still be at risk, so try and go out with other people you trust. Have discussions with your friends about how you can keep yourselves safe, and share all of this information with them. That way should anybody find their drink spiked you will all know what action to take.

Make sure those people know your phone or mobile number and if someone goes missing, make sure you look for them, as they may be in a vulnerable position and unable to protect themselves.

Discuss with your friends how you will keep each other safe and make sure that you stick together, even when you go to the toilet, or outside for a cigarette if you smoke, it’s always good to go in pairs.

Always have a pre-arranged plan for getting home – book a taxi from a reputable firm before you go out and ensure that you never leave one person in a taxi alone. It’s better to stay with friends overnight than have to go home on your own. But remember the vast majority of taxi drivers are reputable and often take extra care of women who they are worried about. Even better agree that one of you will not drink and will be a designated driver and that way at least one person will always be fully aware of what is happening.

To try and keep safe make sure that:

You don’t drink excessively before you go out – tempting though it is it means that you will get drunk far quicker and will be an easier target.
You always make sure that you eat well before drinking any alcohol.
You never accept a drink from someone you don’t know or don’t trust, but remember drinks are often spiked by friends and acquaintances, and so it’s sometimes hard to know who it’s safe to accept a drink from.
Be very careful that once you have had a few drinks that you don’t become blasé and more trusting of someone who is offering to buy you a drink.
When you buy a drink watch the person behind the bar pour it. Try not to get distracted, as in a small number of cases it has been the person behind the bar who has targeted the victim.
If you can buy drinks in bottles with lids. If you are going on the dance floor it can then easily go in your bag. Some people buy special caps to go over bottles, and these can be useful, but a determined drink spiker will find ways round this and it has been known for them to dip a straw in a drug, and then place this in the bottle.
You can also buy drink spike detector kits but research does conflict as to whether these work – so even if you buy and use them, be vigilant and take care.
Whether you have a glass or a bottle you never leave your drink unattended.
If you do have to leave a drink leave it with trusted friends, better still finish it so that you don’t have to go back to it.
You pace your drinking and make sure you drink water as well as alcohol to keep yourself hydrated.
When you drink anything, if it tastes unusual or seems to be having an unusual effect upon you then stop drinking it.
You recognize the danger of binge drinking or mixing any kind of drugs with alcohol. Sometimes people will encourage you to do this but it’s important that you are aware of the health risks and take care to make the right decisions that will keep you safe.
If you, or someone you are with, start to feel different, or act differently then seek help straight away. They may well have had their drink spiked. Tell your friends, the person behind the bar, tell the bouncers, and ask them to get medical assistance as an emergency.
If you, or a friend, are approached by someone who seems to have noticed you/they are under the influence of something and therefore vulnerable, make sure that you try to get rid of them. If you are not sure about them ask for photo identification and record their details. If they refuse to give it to you then you will know that they are not safe to be around. If you are really concerned use your mobile phone to photograph the person and speak to the bar manager, club manager or person whose party you are at and let them know of your concerns.
You seek medical attention immediately and ask that blood and urine tests are done – most drugs will not stay in the system for long so early testing is vital. Sometime medical professionals will assume you are just suffering from too much alcohol so try to tell them what has happened and why this is different from being drunk.
You try to keep hold of the glass you were drinking from so that it can be tested.
If you can please consider reporting what has happened to the police, they can test samples too and can preserve samples as evidence which could later be used to convict someone. They will also be able to try to link any similar attacks, and try to catch the person, or people, that are responsible. But you will need to report quickly as the police can only test for up to 72 hours, and for some substances this will be too late.

You might find it helpful to look at our Keeping Safe and Seeking Help section.

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