When 23-year-old Lucy* went out for a couple of drinks in Tasmania's second-largest city, she anticipated a fun night with friends.
But after three drinks, she collapsed in the club and her unconscious body was carried down the stairs of the venue and out onto the streets of Launceston.
Lucy was taken to the hospital by ambulance, and it was there that her body became temporarily paralysed.
"My hands were curled up and I couldn't move them and my whole body was just tingling.
"I couldn't move my body, it was stuck," she said.
"I couldn't talk to the nurse; my mouth was stuck."
Lucy believes her drink had been spiked, leading to the adverse reaction.
Drink spiking is when someone puts alcohol or other drugs into another person's drink without their knowledge.
In the past year, there have also been reports of needle spiking, where victims are unknowingly injected with a substance.
Hack has also heard reports of people being drugged with fentanyl patches.
Dr Nicole Lee from the National Drug Research Institute at Curtin University said from the limited data available, they know alcohol, as well as other drugs are used in drink spiking.
"They're things like Rohypnol, which is a type of benzodiazepine, GHB or ketamine," she said.
"They're all fairly colourless and odourless, so they're less easily detected."
A criminal offence
At the hospital, Lucy claims staff did not believe that her drink had been spiked.
"They pretty much thought that I was on some type of drug, they didn't believe me.
"They were looking at me like I was just some idiot that goes out and does drugs randomly on weekends," she said.
"It was pretty disgusting really.
"I feel like going to the police, seeing an officer, it would probably be the exact same response, so I didn't bother."
In a statement, a spokesperson from the Tasmanian Department of Health said any report of drink spiking in the community is of serious concern.
"If anyone believes their drink has been spiked, they are urged to seek medical attention as soon as possible and should also report the matter to Tasmania Police," it said.
"Tasmanian public hospitals have a defined protocol for the management of patients who present to hospital with a report of drink spiking, which includes contacting police provided the patient gives their consent.
"Any patients who have concerns about their care in Tasmanian public hospitals should raise it with their treating team at the time, or through the hospital's complaints procedure."
Dr Lee said very few cases are reported to authorities every year, despite it being a criminal offence in every Australian jurisdiction.
"One of the problems with reporting drink spiking is that often the person doesn't know who did it for a start, or they can't remember what happened," she said.
"It's really tricky because the police can't really do anything without a perpetrator.
"But then, on the other hand, we don't have any sense of how often it happens because it doesn't get reported."
Due to under-reporting, there is limited information about who is being spiked, how often it is occurring, what substances are being used, and where it is taking place.
Earlier this year, researchers from La Trobe University's Rural Health School commenced a study into drink spiking activities across the Greater Bendigo region.
They found drink spiking is most common at home by someone you know.
There are a range of reasons perpetrators spike drinks, including as a prank played on friends, Dr Lee said.
"Someone might ask for a soda or a tonic water and they'll put a bit of alcohol in it just to see what happens.
"Sometimes perpetrators might spike victims' drinks to commit sexual assault, or some kind of revenge as well is another motive."
According to an Australian Institute of Criminology study, around 60 per cent of spiking-related sexual assaults occurred away from a licensed venue.
‘I don’t feel safe’
For Lucy, drink spiking had such a significant impact on her life that she changed her appearance and moved to a different town.
"I dyed my hair, I don't want to stand out, I just wanted to blend in," she said.
"I can't stand the thought of Launceston. I used to live there, but I moved back out to my little hometown.
"I haven't been back out; I don't have any interest in doing it.
"Which is kind of sad for the fact that I am only 23 and yes, I like to go out and have fun, but I don't feel safe."
*Lucy's name has been changed to protect her identity.
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