‘Spiking’ is when someone puts alcohol or drugs into another person’s drink or their body without their knowledge and/or consent.
The most common way that people are spiked is by someone adding alcohol to their non-alcoholic drink, or extra alcohol to their alcoholic one, without their knowledge and/or consent.
However, drugs (legal or illegal) can also be added to drinks or put in someone’s body in another way, such as:
- Giving someone a drug but telling them it is a different dosage or a different drug altogether – for example, a drug that is commonly prescribed or sold as medicine.
- Injecting it into them with a syringe.
Please know that these are just two examples of other ways that people might be spiked with drugs – it is not a full list.
Someone can be spiked with any type of drug, including:
- Illegal drugs that are commonly taken on nights out or at parties – for example, Ecstasy (also known as ‘MD’, ‘MDMA’, ‘Pills’, ‘Mandy’ or ‘Molly’), Ketamine, GBL or LSD. These are sometimes known as ‘party drugs’ or ‘club drugs’.
- Drugs that have become known for their use by people who commit spiking in order to rape, sexually assault or sexually abuse someone – for example, Rohypnol, GHB or GBL. These are commonly known as ‘date rape drugs’. However, people often also take these drugs out of choice, including on nights out or at parties.
- Prescription medicines, such as sedatives, tranquilisers and opiates – for example, Valium or Xanax.
The effect on the victim or survivor will depend on several factors:
- What they were spiked with.
- How much they were spiked with.
- If they had already consumed alcohol or taken drugs and how much they consumed.
- Their size and weight.
Symptoms of spiking include:
- feeling or being sick
- feeling ‘strange’ or drunker than expected
- feeling confused or disorientated
- feeling sleepy
- blurred or slowed vision, or trouble seeing properly
- loss of balance or coordination
- having trouble communicating
- having hallucinations
- acting strangely or out of character
These symptoms might start to come into effect within 15 minutes, depending on what a person has been spiked with. Symptoms can last for several hours. If you have been spiked its important to remember what has happened is not your fault and you're not alone. Your safety and wellbeing are the most important things right now and you can access specialist support, if and whenever you feel ready.
What to do if you think you've been spiked
- If you start to feel strange, sick or drunk when you know that you couldn’t be drunk, get help from a trusted friend or the venue management.
- If you think you may have been spiked, ask a close friend to get you out of the venue or party as soon as possible and either take you home or to hospital (if seriously unwell). You could also ring a friend, relative or partner and ask them to come and pick you up.
- If you feel unsafe, vulnerable or threatened you can ask for help by approaching venue staff and asking for ‘Angela’. This is a coded-phrase that indicates you need help and a trained member of staff will support and assist you. You can also ask for 'Angela' if you are in any situation where you feel threatened or at risk.
- Once you are safely home ask someone to stay with you until the effects of the drug have worn off - this might take several hours.
- Don’t hesitate to call for medical help if you need it - it's always better to get checked out.
- If you feel able and comfortable to, make a report to the police as soon as possible. Some substances used for spiking can’t be detected after 72 hours or even 12 hours, so doing this as early as possible can help the police find out what has happened.
University Support
- Speak to advisor. A specialist advisor will get in touch to discuss your options with you and will be able to offer appropriate practical and emotional support tailored to your circumstances. This is confidential and does not instigate any kind of formal reporting process.
- Counselling Service. The Counselling Service offers confidential support to students and staff.
Reporting Options
- Police. In an emergency or if you are in immediate danger you should dial 999. Otherwise, you can call 101 or visit your local police station to report a crime. If you press 55, you'll be transferred to a call centre where an advisor will let you know you're connected. If you cannot speak, you'll again be asked to tap your phone, make a noise or press 55. The advisor will try to help you in a number of ways, so you do not feel under pressure to just do one thing. Reporting is a big decision and all of the support services linked to above can support you with this, if you decide to make a police report.
- GMP has launched (June 2023) a new online service for victims to report any incidents of spiking along with an advice and information page. The below link takes you to the bespoke page. GMP is on one of 4 forces who have adopted this approach, which will be evaluated by the NPCC with a view for a national roll out.
- Spiking | Greater Manchester Police (gmp.police.uk)
- University. If the perpetrator is a member of the University community you will have the option of submitting a formal report. The first step to making a formal report is to speak with an advisor, who will be able to provide you with advice and support on what options are available to make an informed decision.