Spiking

‘Spiking’ is when someone puts alcohol or drugs into another person’s drink or their body without their knowledge and/or consent.

This may affect how they act or behave and can affect someone’s judgement and in extreme cases incapacitate them, which can make a person extremely vulnerable, put them at risk of harm and have a lasting impact on their life and wellbeing.

The most common way that people are spiked is by someone adding substances to a person’s drink without their knowledge and/or consent.

However, drugs (legal or illegal) can also be put in someone’s body in another way, such as:

• Giving someone a drug but telling them it is a different dosage or a different drug altogether – for example, a drug that is commonly prescribed or sold as medicine
• Injecting it into their body with a syringe

Please know that these are just a few examples of how people may be spiked.

Spiking is a serious crime, anyone that does it could face serious criminal charges.

The effects of spiking vary depending on several factors:

• What they’ve been spiked with
• How much they were spiked with
• If they had already consumed alcohol or taken drugs and how much they consumed
• Their size and weight

Here’s some things to look out for:

• Lowered inhibitions
• Loss of balance
• Feeling sleepy
• Visual problems
• Confusion
• Trouble communicating
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Unconsciousnes

Spiking can happen in any situation, at home or on a night out. While venues and the police have a responsibility to keep people safe, there are also some practical steps you can take to help reduce the risk of getting spiked:

• Never leave your drink unattended, whether it’s alcoholic or not.
• Never accept a drink from anyone you don’t know or trust.
• Keep an eye on your friends’ drinks.
• Don’t drink leftover drinks.
• If you think your drink doesn’t taste right, don’t drink it. Immediately tell the venue manager/host.
• Stick together with friends, make plans for your journey home, and look after each other.

If you think that you or someone else has been spiked, it’s important to tell someone you trust as soon as possible. If you aren’t with anyone you can trust, then call someone and get to a safe place.

• Tell a venue bar manager, member of staff or security.
• If you are on a Swansea University campus, inform the Security Team via the Safezone App.
• Stay with them and keep talking to them.
• Don’t let them leave with someone you don’t know or trust.
• Report to the Police online, on 101, or in an emergency, call 999.
• Should their condition deteriorate, you should dial 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Swansea University and Swansea University Students’ Union are committed to making sure our students are as safe as possible:

• Swansea University Security Team are emergency responders and are on hand 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on campuses, you can contact them via the Safezone App.
• The Safeguarding and Disclosure Response Team work in close partnership with the South Wales University Liaison Officers to provide crime prevention, safety and general advice for all students.
• Swansea Help Point: The Help Point is a specialist treatment facility within Swansea city centre, if you are taken unwell or feel vulnerable, please attend the facility for support.
• Swansea University Students’ Union have revisited and reinvested into the anti-spiking measures that they provide to students.