Drink Spiking – Would You Know the Signs?
Issue 4: The Broken Padlock
A Night Out Turned Upside Down
The music is loud, the drinks are flowing, and the atmosphere is buzzing. You’re with friends, laughing, enjoying the night. You step away for a moment, maybe to dance, maybe to the restrooms, leaving your drink on the table.
When you return, everything seems fine. But minutes later, something feels wrong. Your vision blurs, your head spins, and suddenly, you can’t think straight. Your legs feel weak, and the noise around you distorts. Did you drink too much? Or did someone just spike your drink?
This is the terrifying reality of drink spiking. It can happen to anyone, regardless of gender, in bars, clubs, festivals, or even house parties. Many victims don’t realise what’s happening until it’s too late. And once it’s in your system, you’re no longer in control.
How can you spot the danger before it happens? And what should you do if you or someone else is spiked? Let’s break it down.
🔍 What is Drink Spiking?
Drink spiking is the act of adding alcohol or drugs to someone’s drink without their knowledge or consent. It can happen anywhere, bars, clubs, house parties, and even at private gatherings.
💡 Why do people spike drinks?
🛡️ Opportunistic theft – To rob an unconscious victim.
🚨 Sexual assault – Predators use spiking to make someone more vulnerable.
😡 Revenge or malice – Targeting someone to humiliate or harm them.
🤡 ‘Pranks’ – Some people spike drinks thinking it’s funny, without realising how dangerous it is.
💡 Who is at risk?
👥 While women are more frequently targeted, drink spiking happens men too. It can happen to anyone, anywhere, regardless of how cautious they think they are.
💡 How is it done?
🍹 Adding extra alcohol to a drink without telling the person.
💊 Using drugs like GHB, Rohypnol, or ketamine, which can cause drowsiness, confusion, or unconsciousness.
🩸 Injection spiking, where victims are drugged via a needle, has also been reported in clubs and festivals.
Drink spiking isn’t just a nasty trick, it’s a crime that can have life-threatening consequences.
🚨 Recognising the Signs of Drink Spiking
Drink spiking can be hard to detect, many of the substances used are colourless, tasteless, and odourless, making them nearly impossible to notice. That’s why recognising the symptoms early is critical.
💡 Common symptoms of drink spiking:
Sudden dizziness or disorientation – Feeling lightheaded or unable to focus.
🤮 Nausea or vomiting – A strong reaction that doesn’t match what you’ve had to drink.
Unusual confusion or memory gaps – Forgetting things from the night even if you didn’t drink much.
🚫 Loss of coordination – Feeling unable to walk properly, stumbling, or slurring speech.
⏳ Extreme drowsiness or blacking out – Sudden fatigue or unconsciousness that happens quickly.
Hallucinations or paranoia – Feeling detached from reality, anxious, or confused.
If you or a friend suddenly feel off for no clear reason, don’t ignore it. Act fast.
🛡️ How to Protect Yourself from Drink Spiking
While the blame always lies with the offender, taking precautions can help lower your risk and keep you in control.
💡 Before You Go Out
👨👩👦 Stick with trusted friends – Look out for each other throughout the night.
🌍 Plan your way home – Make sure you know how you’re getting back safely.
📱 Set up emergency contacts – Share your location with a trusted friend or family member.
💡 While You’re Out
👀 Never leave your drink unattended – Even for a moment. If you do, leave it and get a new one.
🚫 Don’t accept drinks from strangers – Unless you watch them being poured by bar staff.
🛡️ Cover your drink – Use drink stoppers, lids, or your hand when moving through crowds.
🤝 Trust your instincts – If something feels off, remove yourself from the situation.
📌 Where to Get Help & Report Spiking
If you or someone you know has been spiked, support is available. Reporting incidents can help catch offenders and protect others.
💡 Who to Contact (UK):
🚒 Emergency Services (999) – If symptoms are severe or you feel unsafe.
🚓 Non-Emergency Police (101) – To report drink spiking after the incident.
🏥 NHS (111) – For medical advice if you’re feeling unwell but not in immediate danger.
🛃 Venue Staff or Security – If you’re at a bar, club, or event, tell staff immediately so they can act.
🔎 Next Issue: Street Harassment – How to Handle Unwanted Attention
Street harassment isn’t just annoying, it can be intimidating, unsettling, and even dangerous. Next week, we’ll cover:
Why street harassment happens and who it targets.
How to recognise when a situation is escalating.
What works and what doesn’t when dealing with harassers.
Situational crime prevention tactics to reduce your risk.
No one should have to deal with harassment while just trying to get from A to B. We’ll be talking about how to handle it in the next issue. Please share this with a friend if you found the content useful.
Disclaimer
While the advice provided in this newsletter can help reduce the risk of becoming a victim of crime, no security measure or strategy can eliminate the risk entirely. The goal is to reduce the risk to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP), acknowledging that some level of risk will always remain due to the unpredictability of human behaviour and the methods used by criminals. According to criminological theories such as Situational Crime Prevention (Clarke, 1983), the most effective way to prevent crime is to alter the environment or circumstances that allow it to occur. However, even with the best precautions, risk can never be reduced to zero. The only way to completely remove the risk is to entirely eliminate the target in other words, remove the opportunity for crime to occur altogether. This reinforces the importance of layered security measures, vigilance, and ongoing risk assessment to effectively mitigate threats.