Spiking

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 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.

These drugs are sometimes used by people who want to commit a form of sexual violence or abuse for several reasons:

• They can make people become physically weak, feel ‘out-of-control’ or pass out.
  
  
• They can be odourless, colourless and tasteless – so it can be hard to know if your drink has been spiked with them.
  
  
• They leave the body within a short amount of time, making them hard to detect.
  
  
• They can cause memory loss – so the victim or survivor might not remember exactly what happened to them or who the perpetrator was.

The most commonly known date rape drugs are:

• Rohypnol (also called roofie)
  
  
• Gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB)

Other less common date rape drugs are:

• Ecstasy
  
  
• Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)
  
  
• Ketamine

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.

As we’ve seen, so-called ‘date rape drugs’ can make someone weak, feel ‘out-of-control’ or pass out.

However, all alcohol and drugs can have this effect, depending on the factors listed above.

Other 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
  
  
• memory loss
  
  
• unconsciousness

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.

So-called ‘date rape’ is when someone carries out rape or another form of sexual violence or abuse against another person after spiking them.

It is important to note that ‘date rape’ is not a legal term. Under the law, rape is always just rape and sexual assault is always just sexual assault – no matter if the victim or survivor knew their perpetrator or if they were spiked with alcohol or drugs.

The term ‘date rape’ refers to the fact that some perpetrators spike their victims while on dates with them or after meeting them on nights out.

BUT, spiking and sexual violence or abuse can also be committed by a stranger or someone known to the victim in another way. For example:

• an ex-partner
  
  
• someone they used to date
  
  
• an acquaintance (someone they only know a little bit)
  
  
• a friend
  
  
• a colleague
  
  
• a family member

One of the main effects of date rape drugs is memory loss, so you might not be sure if you've been assaulted. If you give permission, forensic tests can be done to check for date rape drugs in your system. Blood and urine samples need to be taken quite soon after the incident. But hair and nail samples can be used to detect drugs much later. You can report drink spiking even if you don't think you've been assaulted.

Everyone responds differently to spiking and sexual assault – so whatever someone feels is a valid response. But, for lots of people, it can have a long-lasting impact on their feelings and wellbeing.

If you have experienced spiking and sexual assault of any kind – whether it was recently or a long time ago – HERSANA is here for you. We will listen to you, believe you and create a safe space for you.

If you think someone has had their drink spiked, and they are showing any of the symptoms described above there are a few things you can do to help:

The most important thing is to try to make sure that someone trusted stays with them until they have got home safely and – if possible – until the symptoms have worn off.

Other things you can do to help include:

• Tell a bar manager, bouncer or member of staff
  
  
• Stay with them and keep talking to them
  
  
• Call an ambulance if their condition deteriorates
  
  
• Don’t let them leave with someone you don’t know or trust
  
  
• If you don’t know them or don’t know them well, try finding their friends or the people they were with
  
  
• Don’t let them drink more alcohol - this could lead to more serious problems
  
  
• Report the incident to the police by calling 999 or 101