Almost 200 drink spiking incidents have been reported to UK police forces over the last two months.
In addition, there have been 24 reports of some form of injection being used to incapacitate victims, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said.
A total of 198 confirmed reports of drink spiking were recorded in September and October across various parts of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the NPCC said.
Of those, 58 were made to the Metropolitan Police.
It said the number included both men and women, although the majority of cases featured young women.
Alleged offences have taken place at licensed premises and private parties.
The figures are based on data received from 40 police forces, and the NPCC said it is still to receive data from five forces which it expects over the weekend.
In Manchester, police are investigating after three girls fell ill at Ark nightclub on Deansgate Locks last month, with a string of young women coming forward to say their drinks had been spiked in Fallowfield and the city centre.
In Nottingham, two men, aged 18 and 19, were arrested “on suspicion of conspiracy to administer poison with intent to injure, annoy or aggrieve” this week.
The arrests are in connection with a spate of reported drink-spiking incidents involving needles in the city, Nottinghamshire Police said.
They are not being linked to any specific allegation of spiking by a needle, or contamination of a drink.
Both men have since been released under investigation, the force said in an update.
Meanwhile, an investigation has been launched into another incident in which a woman said she was attacked with a needle inside a nightclub.
Devon and Cornwall Police said a woman reported being assaulted in Fever & Boutique in Exeter.
In the last month, internet searches for ‘drink spiking’ have increased by more than 800 per cent, Wales Online reports.
What to do if you think you’ve been spiked
LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor has answered some frequently asked questions about spiking and date rape drugs to help young people.
Symptoms of spiking
If you or one of your friends are on a night out and are having a different reaction to alcohol than normal, or you start to feel 'off', there is a chance you could have been spiked.
A spiked drink might not look, smell or taste any different. And it could take 15-30 minutes before you see any effect, but these effects could last for several hours.
Symptoms vary based on a number of factors including:
Which substance or mix of substances have been used
The dosage
Your height and weight
How much alcohol you’ve already had
Common symptoms can include:
Feeling drunker
Loss of balance
Visual problems
Lowered inhibitions
Confusion
Nausea
Vomiting
Unconsciousness
The issue with spiking is that it can often appear as though the victim has just had too much to drink, so sometimes it’s not taken as seriously as it should be.
Where to go and what to do if you think you or your friend has been spiked
If you believe you or someone else has been spiked, you should tell a bar manager, bouncer or member of staff immediately.
Try to stay with the person who has been spiked and keep talking to them.
You should never go home by yourself if you think you’ve been spiked and should not allow anyone to leave the venue with someone they don’t know or trust.
You should stop drinking immediately if you think you’ve been spiked, as the mix of drugs and alcohol could be dangerous.
You should be prepared to call an ambulance if their condition deteriorates. At A&E you should tell the medical staff that you suspect the victim has been spiked. They will then be able to conduct urine and blood tests to determine which drugs are in their system.
You can go to the police, a local GP or hospital. If you don’t feel ready to do that, you can also call the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre on 0808 802 9999.
What drugs are typically used in spiking
The most commonly used ‘date rape’ drugs are Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and Rohypnol (or Roofie).
Dr Sameer Sanghvi, Clinical Technology Lead at LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor explained:
“GHB can give you a sense of euphoria, reduce your inhibitions and also cause sleepiness, whereas Rohypnol is a sedative drug that is often used to treat insomnia and anxiety.
“Rohyphnol works by increasing the effect of gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) in the brain which can strongly affect a person’s rational thought process and short-term memory.”
Other recreational drugs such as Ketamine, Ecstasy and LSD are also often used in spikings. All of the drugs have the capability of reducing bodily sensations and have varying effects .
Whilst ecstasy may energise you and make you more paranoid and confused, ketamine can leave you with memory loss, a sense of confusion or breathing difficulties, whereas LSD can cause anxiousness and your heart to race.
Spiking via injections
This year there has been an increase in reports of spiking through injection, rather than drink spiking.
Social media posts from the last fortnight have seen claims of injection spikings from across the UK including in Nottingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Dundee and Liverpool.
Sarah Crew from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) confirmed that a “number” of forces across the country are now investigating reports of spiking done with injections.
Spiking via injections is not only dangerous because of the drug used, but if a needle is being reused, there's a risk you could catch something from the other people who've been injected with that needle.
Viruses like HIV and hepatitis are known to be spread by sharing needles - through no fault of the victim.
How do we stop spikings?
As students have returned to university, nightclubs have seen a huge increase in the number of spikings, with a new survey revealing that at least 2,600 young people believe they have been spiked since the start of this academic year.
This new method of injections is increasingly hard for people to defend themselves against. However, the emphasis shouldn't be on victims protecting themselves against spiking, but more being done to stop the spiking in the first place.
In response to the recent events, women are planning to boycott nightclubs on Wednesday (October 27) in an attempt to get nightclubs to impose stronger measures such as bag searches and more staff training.
Instagram pages called ‘Girls Night In’ that represent over 30 different cities across the UK already have thousands of likes.
What’s happening here in Manchester?
Both 42nd Street and indie club The Venue will close their doors on Wednesday in support of the boycott, set up by members of the Student's Union at the University of Manchester.
Bosses at 42s say they will pay staff in full for their work that evening, despite remaining closed.
A post on the club's social media pages read: "Everyone has the right to feel safe on a night out, it is important our staff and customers know that we take their safety very seriously.
"This is not a knee jerk reaction, we have consistently put our customers and staff at the forefront of our identity.
"We support the “girlsnightinmanc” initiative to improve the safety of people on a night out."
The Venue has confirmed that all ticket holders for Wednesday's event will be automatically refunded, and that the club is in discussions with the licensing team from Manchester City Council to come up with a solution.
Meanwhile, Andy Burnham admitted that the issue is “completely off the scale”.
“My daughters tell me some of the things that happen when they’re on nights out and it’s just ridiculous,” he told Mike Sweeney on BBC Radio Manchester this week.
The Greater Manchester mayor urged people to report anyone they suspect may be responsible for spiking.
“I am aware of it having happened in my own sort of circles and it’s not right,” he said.
“I mean what kind of bloke in their right mind sees that behaviour kind of going on and thinks ‘oh well I’ll just turn a blind eye to that’.
“If you’re aware that someone you know takes a syringe out with them… words completely fail me.
“This one’s for the men. This one’s for the boys. Get a grip, sort this out, don’t tolerate it.
“You know, we’ve all got mums, we’ve all got sisters, we’ve all got daughters. This, this is on us this one. Not on women, this is on us.
“Clubs do have to do more, so do men and boys.”
