... to wonder how prevalent "spiking" really is?

[SeptemberGurl]

There's been a few reported incidents this term already at the Uni where my DD2 is studying. She is in her final year, and over the past years she's told me about two suspected incidences with her close friendship group.

I wish there were some better data on this. Is it really that common?

It looks like this is another male on female crime that's going to get denied/minimised and those silly girls have just had too much to drink.

"But call me cynical but I also suspect that quite a lot of the "spiking" incidents are actually people who've just drunk far too much and are embarrassed about having passed out or having had to be taken to a&e. It's the ultimate get out of jail free card if you've gone way overboard isn't it?"

We used to sat that rape claims were a get out of jail free card when women felt guilty about having sex.

It's impossible to know how prevalent it is. I'm not even sure of how to quantify it? I'd read about it going back many years, I was aware of it in the 90s, but only from newspaper reports. I'd generally assumed it was mostly somewhat of an urban myth, exaggerated, too much drink, etc.

However, I'd had the experience a few years back, as a mature student in my early 40s. Two of the mature students, somewhat reluctantly going to drinks with the main group, 2 glasses of red wine for me. I was getting a train afterwards, and no intention of drinking lots with younger students, etc.

I lost contact with the group I was with, but luckily some other people from the course noticed me, and managed to get me to their place. It's a long story, but they eventually (I'd lost my phone/bag) managed to contact DH who collected me around 4AM. I do remember bits, I got sick several times. I insisted that DH take me straight home. I was very very anxious for several days afterwards since I'd had to change some clothes, and didn't know what happened. I did make a report (a few weeks later) to the police, and to the venue.

My awful awful experience makes me believe it is fairly rare, otherwise this would be something I'd certainly have heard directly from friends if they had experienced it.

It also makes me really concerned that there are people out there that would do this. It is highly dangerous.

I have known a good few cases of friends of friends getting spiked by injection recently. Before this it was virtually unheard of here other than people who had more probably than not actually drunk too much.

I think it’s very much ‘I know a girl who was spiked’ once removed. A girl at my hobby was out with friends, one was injected so they all took her home (I think I might have gone to A&E?)

I think it happens, but I don't think it happens anything like as often as people think it does. I know people who claim to have had their drink spiked when we have been on nights out, the thing is they are people who are not great at drinking in the first place and were chucking drinks down, drinking a lot on empty stomachs etc.

Sure it happens, but the reality is that it is far easier for the potential rapist to either get their victim very drunk, or just choose a very drunk target.

The whole subject has a vague Bogus Social Worker feel to it.

I expect a Fortean feature very soon.

I know a lot of people at Uni who claimed their drinks had been spiked, I would say at about half of the nights out somebody in my halls would claim they must have been spiked. However as far as I am aware nobody was ever assaulted/ mugged etc at my uni whilst I was there and we had a very female heavy cohort (large nursing & teaching courses) so I doubt whether all of the reports of being spiked were true. People are only going to spike someone’s drink with a view to take advantage of them afterwards otherwise it is a waste of the money spent on the drug and not worth the risk so it seems unlikely these girls were being spiked most weeks at the student union but there were never any reports of assault etc.

Obviously I am aware it does happen but I think a lot of the time people can automatically jump to the conclusion their drink was spiked when really they have just had an unexpected reaction to the alcohol they’ve drunk, maybe because they haven’t eaten it it’s reacted with prescribed medication or they’ve drunk more than they realised etc.

I think its really common - both myself and many others I know have experienced it.

"However as far as I am aware nobody was ever assaulted/ mugged etc at my uni whilst I was there and we had a very female heavy cohort (large nursing & teaching courses) so I doubt whether all of the reports of being spiked were true. "

Some people, mostly men do it as amusement. It isn't about rape/assault. They just like having the power to fuck someone up. My middle DD found out who had spiked her and he does it because he thinks it's funny.

I've heard many people think they've been spiked but only seen it for sure once. I was out with a friend, she'd had 1 drink, went out for a cigarette, happily chatting away totally coherent and sober, walked back into the bar and suddenly collapsed unconscious on the dance floor with her eyes rolling back in her head.

Thankfully the bouncers were great, carried her outside and sorted her an ambulance, unfortunately the hospital not so great, didn't test her, wrote her off as drunk

We do live in a comparatively safe place though, I'm sure it happens more often elsewhere.

I know a lot of people at Uni who claimed their drinks had been spiked

I've met a load of people who had Covid in 2019.

I’d heard various rumours about drug spiking nearly 20yrs ago. I’m certain I had my drink spiked about 15yrs ago. I’d had half a beer and a couple of sips of white wine over a 1hr period when the room started spinning, I nearly passed out and felt very sick. Initially I thought it was food poisoning/bug but the male friend I was with kept saying “they’ll think I’ve done this to you”. I went straight home at 8pm and slept 12hrs. When I looked back at the evening I remembered my friend buying the beer and I’d left it with him to go to the bathroom. Hmmm.

DD1 was spiked with horrendous consequences. Amongst her peer group she knows of I would say around six credible incidences? She's early twenties.

I live in Tunbridge Wells and a woman walking home from the supermarket was injected with something about three weeks ago. Luckily passers by saw it happen and called the police and ambulance. The perpetrator ran off, but by the time the ambulance arrived she couldn't speak. They still haven't caught the person who did it, but there is a visibly improved police presence in town.

So, I don't know how common it is at universities and as part of night life, but don't be complacent because it seems anyone, even a woman just walking back from the supermarket in the early evening, is fair game

@MissCruellaDeVil

I know a lot of people in my age range that have claimed to be spiked over the years, however I also suspect a few just had a few too many drinks. There definitely seems to be an epidemic in the city near me (Sheffield) as I see girls on facebook sharing posts. Personally it's not happened to me, but nights out are few and far between with DC!

Thing is that while you can test for the presence or absence of known drugs in the victim's system, how can you differentiate between someone who drank more than was good for them, compared with someone who had their shandy "topped up" with vodka when they weren't looking?

Where I live three close-by towns have reported spiking by injection in the last couple of weeks.

Happened to me. I didn’t have tests soon enough to confirm it, but I know it happened.

I know several women and girls who are sure they’ve been spiked. I’d say it’s more common than any statistics would show.

I was spiked twice when I was in uni ten years ago. My friend also got spiked at the same time as me, and there were a few girls in my class who were also spiked at some stage. I know I was definitely spiked both times as I'd only had one drink and suddenly lost my legs entirely. It was really scary but luckily both times I was with friends who were able to get me home safely (although the second time it happened I did end up with a concussion as I hit the deck and bumped my head ).

Spiking is scary and deeply unpleasant. This new injection thing is really creepy.

I was spiked in the early 2000s at a birthday party. A bloke there was insistent on giving me some champagne, got outside somehow & collapsed in the snow in a hedgerow & came round dazed & confused. DD spiked at a club in SE London/Surrey. Paramedics called & club owner sent her home in a taxi. Wasn't alcohol as we can hold our drink.

It happened to me back in 2005 on a night out in a restaurant with colleagues. After 2 glasses of wine I was feeling like I'd had several bottles, started acting very erratically and was staggering and then crying.

The colleague I was waiting for a lift home with left without me, leaving me in a very vulnerable position in the town centre. Somehow I managed to stagger to a well lit, busy place to meet my then fiance (now DH) and get him to collect me.

Apparently I was a mess when he arrived and a chap nearby had come over to check I was ok as I was crying so much.

The next day I was so tired and had one of the worst hangovers ever although only having had two glasses of wine.

Fair to say I was spiked, but don't know who by.

My son’s girlfriend was spiked on a night out with my son at one of the university bars. He was horrified. He thought she was safe because she was obviously with him. She ended up in A and E. It really shook them both up.

@ImInStealthMode

I've heard many people think they've been spiked but only seen it for sure once. I was out with a friend, she'd had 1 drink, went out for a cigarette, happily chatting away totally coherent and sober, walked back into the bar and suddenly collapsed unconscious on the dance floor with her eyes rolling back in her head.

Thankfully the bouncers were great, carried her outside and sorted her an ambulance, unfortunately the hospital not so great, didn't test her, wrote her off as drunk

We do live in a comparatively safe place though, I'm sure it happens more often elsewhere.

That's part of the problem with the stats, often hospitals don't test for it with admissions. When you consider the number of people who get blind drunk I can understand a bit but the reluctance becomes prejudice at a certain point.

You then end up with victims who are certain they were spiked but aren't believed and are unable to provide the evidence, victims who aren't sure and blame themselves or push to the back of their minds. Etc...

All adds up to contribute to the silencing of women.

It's hard to get clear data on it.
Most young women (and their companions) will just think they had too much, and by the time they think something is not quite right it's too late to show up on tox screens.
Then you have recreational drug use and that can muddle the waters too.
It's also hard for others to spot the changes in behaviour, especially if they haven't been friends for a long time.

You can also have the other side of the coin with young people finally free and drinking too much/mixing and no idea how much their body can tolerate and how it behaves when drinking.

Some young people are also absolute morons and will slip a friend something for shits and giggles, normally something on the "uppers" side. There's no maliciousness necessarily involved, but the consequences can still be catastrophic.

That being said, it does happen.

My friend's drink was spiked once but it was really easy to suspect something is wrong , because she was nearly catatonic after only 3 drinks and I knew her for 8 years and her drinking habits/tolerance. We were too young and dumb to go to the hospital though, I just took her home. To be fair "back in my day" that's what we all did if someone went legless, either cut the night short and take them home or drag them outside to see if they recover in the fresh air.

I think its more common than people think. I was spiked a few years ago and I know for sure as I was the designated driver so was only drinking soft drinks. As I was driving home my vision went blurry, head spinning and I luckily made it home before I passed out.