... 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?

ChloeCrocodile

I agree. This happens to youngsters with Type 1 diabetes sometimes too. It’s sometimes assumed, if the context fits, that they are drunk when in actual fact they are having a hypo. It happened to my DSis. I’ve also seen it when I had to call an ambulance for a man I found collapsed. They treated him with such disrespect because they assumed he was drunk but when he came fully around he explained he explained his condition.

Ozanj

Thank you. That’s great. I couldn’t see figures on prevalence after a quick look but some useful information.

I do, however, think that reported incidents are the tip of the iceberg, and that many people don’t go to the police.

@Suspiciousmind20

Ozanj

Thank you. That’s great. I couldn’t see figures on prevalence after a quick look but some useful information.

I do, however, think that reported incidents are the tip of the iceberg, and that many people don’t go to the police.

Yes that’s true. Especially when it involves alcohol spiking and young girls who perhaps haven’t had alcohol before or aren’t used to drinking regularly. I got spiked so many times by an ex & assumed I just couldn’t handle my alcohol. It’s why I plan to show my son how to drink responsibly at home well before 18 so he knows how it feels to have 1 drink / shot.

Anyone with common sense would realise it. But fair enough if you want links let me educate you for free:

^www2.hse.ie/conditions/drink-spiking-date-rape-drugs/^

^casapalmera.com/blog/effects-of-drugs-used-in-drink-spiking/^

^www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/advice/spiked-drinks^

^adf.org.au/insights/drink-spiking/^

Many thanks for educating us @Ozanj, the links are really interesting. But none of them does substantiate your claim, they just repeat it without evidence. And common sense it's really not much use here. It's common sense that the Earth is flat!

The problem is that there is no evidence on how prevalent the use of GBL/GBH is in these situations, and it's almost impossible to gather.

I worked in health care at a large University and while I wouldn't say spiking is uncommon per se, we saw that people were more likely to be 'spiked' by alcohol. We heard many examples of extra shots being put into glasses when someone's back was turned, or when they ordered for them.

incredibly difficult medical procedures in dark clubs

They are shoving a needle into exposed flesh - not searching for a vein.

Why are police in several cities investigating "fantastical urban legends"?

I think it’s much more common than people think. I got really, really drunk on a night out when I was about 19 once and my friends had to put me to bed. I hadn’t really drank that much but I hadn’t eaten a heavy meal and I’d had a long day and put it down to that. When I woke up in the morning, I felt weird and I have a heart condition so I took myself to A&E to make sure I hadn’t drank so much I’d done something like triggered an episode. When I got there they did some tests and I had rohypnol in my system. Had I not had a heart condition I would either have not gone to a&e at all and presumed I’d gotten too drunk, or gone later in the day when the drugs were no longer detectable.

It made me extra mad because I took a diazepam when I woke up in the morning because my legs were twitching really badly (hadn’t taken any whilst out ), which obviously interacted with the rohypnol and my heart was beating 32bpm when I got to A&E and my ECG was showing abnormalities. I had to stay overnight. Hospital reported it to the police who gave me a crime number and that’s it.

The second time I got spiked was when I was 21 and in a bar with my boyfriend. We were stood up and talking and he was standing directly opposite me. My drink was in my hand. I went to take a drink and I looked down and there was something blue floating and fizzing in my drink. We took it to the bar staff who threw it away and shrugged and went “it happens”. This was a large decision in why I went teetotal.

I posted some details previously of my story, as a mature student early 40s, etc. I'd heard of spiking, but I have to admit it was never really on my radar. After 1-2 glasses of wine, I was "gone", but I do remember parts. As I got some more details from people, I pieced back part of the time.

Some additional details, that show the difficulty of the situation even for a mature experienced middle aged woman:

• When my DH came to collect me, I insisted on going home. DH was concerned I'd taken drugs (I never have). He could not get me to go to hospital
• Reporting to the police (a few weeks later), they arranged call back, and were really helpful and supportive. They asked about the venue, people I was with, etc.
• Reporting to the venue was interesting. They have cameras, but only the till zone camera is on during opening hours. They told me that their staff are well trained, and help out customers, but that was not my experience
• I wondered if I'd had a fall and was concussed? My friend is a GP, and could not identify anything unusual on head
• I had a few other bruises. The group that helped me told me they had to lift/carry/drag me (2 girls, 1 guy) me. It was raining, a taxi would not take the group.
• Phone and bad/cards were got. Never found (where's my iPhone), never used.
• I was worried about sexual assault, and did a pregnancy and STD test even though nothing felt "out of place" if you see what I mean

It's very easy to dismiss someone as having had too much to drink, and that is often the case I feel. However, I had no idea how common it is. Regardless, the event has a huge impact on me.

They are shoving a needle into exposed flesh - not searching for a vein.
And what do you think happens when the drugs are administered intramuscularly..?
At the very least, it leaves a bruise yet all the social media posts show a tiny dot and claim it’s a needle site. No swelling, no bruising

Also, we have the same dosing issue. If administered intramuscularly, you can still overdose someone on ketamine (it’s an anaesthetic, after all) to the point of unconsciousness or to the point of nothing happening
And yet all the spikers are hitting the magic sweet spot of stumbling and slurring but never being comatose with a big dose of ketamine in their system
How do they manage this..?

Why are police in several cities investigating "fantastical urban legends"?

Because it’s political suicide to assume it’s all made up hence Priti Patel ordering police to look into it
Even MNHQ was jumping on threads and deleting posts from doctors saying it wasn’t plausible, and reminding us all of the ‘we believe you’ campaign

Ozanj

I think helping young people to navigate alcohol use safely sounds useful. I was thinking about that with my DC too.

It's very sad to say, you sometimes need to look at your own friendship group. My DSis and her close friend were drugged by what they believed was a close friend of theirs from college when they went his hometown to a gig, and stayed at his place.

In this case it was some drink, but super strong cannabis. My DSis did like the guy, but was sick and didn't want to, but he did anyway (later she told me she always was attracted to this guy). A few months later, she found out that he'd also raped/coerced her close friend that very same evening.

There are some pictures of Insta of them that evening at the gig. Hugging, kissing, etc. No way DS as going to the police.

Friend had her drink spiked. But fortunately she got home. But she said she was laying on the floor and couldn't physically move, but she was totally conscious. Really frightening. Be careful and watch your drinks.

Suspiciousmind20

Completely agree. I know two people with type 1 diabetes and they both carry a card with that info in their wallets. I get it must be frustrating for HCPs to deal with so many (voluntarily) drunk people on a Friday / Saturday night, but it is worrying how easily those who appear disoriented or incapacitated are dismissed as drunk or on drugs until proven otherwise.

Just feel that it needs to be said that this isn’t something happening exclusively to females, although it’s no doubt more common. Males are also at risk of having drinks spiked, having their money taken and sometimes sexual assaults and rapes. I know at least 2 men who have experienced this and have read about many more in the news. This needs to be something that we should be making all our young adults aware of, regardless of gender.

And what do you think happens when the drugs are administered intramuscularly..?
At the very least, it leaves a bruise yet all the social media posts show a tiny dot and claim it’s a needle site. No swelling, no bruising

The girl who was on Steph's Packed Lunch last week talking about her experience showed a photo of a massive bruise where she'd been injected.

Someone I know was injected last night, in the leg. Luckily she was with family and they looked after her. North West.

Helloise you are being spectacularly offensive here by saying spiking is an urban myth, when so many people are telling you it has happened to them, and really not helping the under reporting that undoubtedly happens, by continuing the myth that this is just drunk people making it up to make themselves a victim. It really is very, very offensive. It must be incredibly upsetting to each of the people on this thread who have been spiked, and to those poor people who have been raped as a result of it.

I personally know of 2 people who have been spiked and I can tell you one had had nothing to drink at all, and the other had had two drinks. Fact. Neither were lying.

And what do you think happens when the drugs are administered intramuscularly..? At the very least, it leaves a bruise

Bollocks.

I bet when there were rumours about the grooming gangs, a lot people fell over themselves to say it doesn't happen. It's not a problem. It's not widespread. No way the police and social workers wouldn't report it. No way there wouldn't be statistics and data and proof. There would be no point. There's no reason. How would it even be done? And if it happened it's just silly girls wanting an older boyfriend and flashy gifts. And so on...

Also, many years ago I was spiked. I knew who had done it. When I confronted him, asking what he put in my drink.... The answer was 'not enough, clearly'

I'm in my 30's, out with a group of friends also mid -thirties and 2 out of 4 of us were spiked. Shortly after my friend went home "sick", later to be proven spiked, I was given a drink that looking back was highly suspicious. Took one sip, before processing how suspicious the situation was and chose to go home much to the annoyance of the guys we had met, I had to push past them to a taxi rank outside where my vision went blury, sudden brain fog and my legs felt heavy, getting into the taxi my speech sudden went very slurred and taxi driver refused me. Luckily our town has a religious group who do night patrols and get people home safe. They got me a taxi within minutes and by the time I got home 5 minutes later I couldn't lift my legs out the taxi, crawled up the step to my house and laid on the sofa feeing my body go numb. Within 15/20 minutes of one sip I was completely out.

Prior to this I had 3 drinks and it was only 10pm, I am convinced I was spiked, my friend was proven to be. Luckily the way the drink was given to me was enough to make me rush home, had I been less assertive and more vulnerable to peer pressure like I was in my 20's I don't think I would have been able to do that.

I live in a town with no real nightlife culture and it happened to us, I believe its alot more widespread than just the university/city/youth and had I been more aware that it wasn't just 20-somethings at uni I would have prehaps realised and alerted someone to the group I suspected to be to blame.

I was spiked in 2002. And raped, if that helps the deniers on here take me any more seriously.
It wasn’t like being drunk. It was like being paralysed. I couldn’t move my arms or legs. Couldn’t speak, couldn’t think, kept blacking in and out.
It does happen.

Very sorry to hear about this @FirstNameSurname

I was given a drink that looking back was highly suspicious. Took one sip, before processing how suspicious the situation was and chose to go home

If it's any help to you in working out what happened, I'd say it's highly unlikely that the drink you took one sip from was what caused the reaction. Unless the culprit had put a big enough dose in to kill you had you finished it, you would not have taken enough.

It was the only drink I had accepted from them and I believe they held the drink high as it was fizzing excessively. I think I probably sipped it prior to it being mixed but I don't know the ins and outs of spiking. With my friends reaction I don't believe they know how to dose as she was extremely poorly from hers.

I went back to college in my late 20 to do a masters, and worked for 2 years in a well known student pub close to the Uni. It's not on campus, but part of a collection of pubs very close by. They were (and still are) the most popular places for students. A few comments as a sober observer:

• A lot of students drink a lot and get very very drunk. You can see it in the course of the evening. It's scary how badly drunk they are. They won't be served at the bar, but their friends often get them drinks. They sometimes have done pre-drinking too, and sometimes sneak in smaller bottles of spirits

• We had good bouncers, and staff would look out for trouble. But I've seen so many girls (and some guys) stumble out with some semi-random person. I'd imagine it's mostly part of the growing up and student experience, but it has to be worse than that sometimes. I dread to think...

• There are clearly predatory guys looking out for super drunk girls. You sometimes see the same guy, sober, watching, joining groups.

• We typically have a garda pair nearby on the main street, but he/she are often called away. They usually intervene in case of fighting only.

• Outside, when we're clearing up, and the pub is closed, there are a lot of people hanging around. We're putting out bins on a side street and it's fairly usual to see very very drunk people pissing, shagging, etc.

• A lot of this is consensual, that fine. But for a lot of it, I'd be very very concerned if I saw my younger DSis in such situations.

• It's easy to ask friends to look out for each other, but it doesn't always work out in practice.

• Personally, I've not seen spiking, but I would not really. I was rushed off my feet working. It might happen, it might not. I really don't know.