It is no secret that drink spiking has been a major threat and concern for people, and especially but not only women, in the past several years and previously, to combat this, young people were encouraged to just protect their drinks or cover the top of it whilst dancing, however, even that can’t protect them now.
Spiking used to be defined as “deliberately adding alcohol or drugs to someone’s drink without their knowledge”, however, with the sudden rise of ‘needle spikes’ this definition no longer holds true.
Needle spiking is a new variation of drink spiking, where a person knowingly injects another individual, usually in a crowd, with drugs or other substances without their knowledge. One of the first recent reports of this was in Nottingham, England and in October alone, the Nottinghamshire Police department investigated 15 separate instances of both men and women being spiked. These unsettling numbers are evidence that a culture change is needed and needed now.
This increase in the new form of spiking has left people terrified and scared and has resulted in young women calling for a boycott of all clubs in England, asking for clubs to start searching all individuals before entering clubs. The boycott campaign has also generated over 170,000 signatures on a petition to make thorough searches a legal requirement for entry to any nightclub.
Milly Seaford, a 21-year-old student at the University of Edinburgh spoke to The Guardian on the 27th of October about this increase in spiking, stating that “People are really fed up. It’s got to the point where everyone knows someone who has been spiked, or they have been spiked themselves. We just want to enjoy a night out and we know there’s stuff that can be done to prevent this”.
This alarming new form of spiking had been confined to the UK until two weeks ago when clubs reopened in Ireland and reports began flowing in. Most recently, this past Halloween weekend saw a young Cork woman get spiked via a needle whilst on a night out in Limerick. The young student remembers nothing from her night and was astonished when she awoke with an alarming puncture wound in her arm, she also believes that if it wasn’t for her friends, things could have been a lot worse.
There has unfortunately always been an element of fear for young women going out at night but the increase in attacks and spiking has left women afraid to even leave the house unaccompanied. This disgusting and criminal behaviour is unacceptable and nightclubs and bars have an obligation to provide a safer environment to their customers.
Now more than ever, we need to watch out for one another. Do not leave your friend alone and make sure you travel in pairs, even if it is just going to the bathroom or to get a drink at the bar. People need to do better but until they do, watching out for one another can help combat some of the possible attacks.
Finally, if you or someone you know has been affected by spiking or any similar issues, please contact the guards on 999 or 112.