A Greater Manchester MP is calling for spiking to be made a crime after almost 5,000 cases were reported in the last year.
Yasmin Qureshi, MP for Bolton East and Shadow Women and Equalities Minister, expressed concerns about the number of people who had fallen victim to the terrifying trend during a debate in Westminster on Wednesday (11 January).
It comes after it emerged that in her constituency of Bolton alone, there were over 50 reported cases of spiking - almost five people a month - in the last twelve months.
READ MORE: The women too traumatised to go out after being spiked in city's bars and clubs
Spiking has been around for years and is illegal. Currently, it's covered by several offences such as Offences Against the Person Act and the Sexual Offences Act. But after a surge in reports, largely among women and girls, as well as homosexual men, campaigners are calling for the act to be made a separate criminal offence.
In Greater Manchester, since September 2021 there has been a significant jump in the number of spiking incidents, and in the same period, throughout the country, there were almost 5,000 cases, according to the The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC).
According to a report from the Home Affairs Select Committee, published in April 2022, survey results found that 72% of all spiking victims are unwilling to report the incident, and 84% of victims said that they did not receive support after the first time they were spiked.
Speaking at Westminster Hall, Ms Qureshi said: "I know two people who have had their drinks spiked. One of those incidents occurred in the 90s, so this is not a new problem. It has been in existence for a very long time; it just has not had the attention that we are now giving it.
"It is important to make this a crime. It will not be the complete solution to the problem of spiking - other things need to be done - but it is a vital start, to ensure that this is criminalised.
"Once it becomes a crime, it will be recorded properly, and we will have a better picture of the extent of spiking. We all know about the incidents that occur in universities, and it is something that people are so vulnerable to.
"One of the two people I know who have been subject to spiking said that she felt so paralytic and so unwell that she was very grateful she had friends with her, and the bouncers in the nightclub were exceptionally good and helped her. I urge the Minister to make this a crime as soon as possible."
How can you tell if your drink has been spiked? And what should you do if you think you've been affected?
The latest calls come after the M.E.N reported that many women and girls in Greater Manchester had been left too traumatised to go out after being spiked in the city's bars and clubs.
A terrifying new trend emerging in 2021, in which victims reported being spiked by injection or with needles, created such panic that many young women took the decision to boycott nightclubs for several weeks.
One student described the trauma of having to go to a sexual health clinic to discuss the possibility of taking preventative HIV medication after reportedly being spiked by injection at a nightclub on Deansgate Locks in Manchester.
Claudia Laing, 19, recalled feeling "paralysed" after she reported being spiked at 42nd Street nightclub in Manchester city centre in 2021. Her friends had to take her to A&E where she was given water and monitored until being discharged at 8am.
Earlier in the year, police launched a separate investigation after three girls had to be rushed to hospital after falling ill at Ark nightclub on Deansgate Locks. One of the girls, who asked not to be named, said she suspected her vodka Red Bull was spiked with date rape drug GHB.
Ms Qureshi has since written to licenced premises in Bolton East imploring them all to carry out Ask for Angela training help, which can help to protect women and girls who are concerned about their safety.
Speaking after the debate, Ms Qureshi said: "Whilst spiking affects both men and women, it disproportionately impacts women and girls. Categorising this as a separate crime will go a long way to understanding the true scale of this crime and will help the police to implement real, evidence-based strategies to address this epidemic.
"We need to see the Government listening to victims and stakeholders and acting quickly, rather than obfuscating and dancing around the matter. Local Councils, police forces, and licensed institutions need to be given a framework through which to adequately deal with this crisis."
Despite the prevalence of spiking in the UK, the Home Office say they have concluded that there is currently need for spiking to be made a specific criminal offence.
A spokesperson said: "We have always been clear that spiking is a serious offence which can carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Working closely with colleagues across government and law enforcement, we have carefully examined the existing legislation, and have concluded that there is no gap in the law a new spiking offence would fill.
"However, we recognise that there is more to do to ensure clarity around what spiking is and how it should be reported. That is why we will be undertaking a targeted consultation on amending statutory licencing guidance which could include explicit reference to spiking, including its definition, examples and signposts to resources."
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