What is drink spiking? How can you know if it’s happened to you, and how can it be prevented?
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What is drink spiking? How can you know if it’s happened to you, and how can it be prevented?
Nicole Lee, Curtin University and Jarryd Bartle, RMIT University
Recent media reports suggest drink spiking at pubs and clubs may be on the rise.
“Drink spiking” is when someone puts alcohol or other drugs into another person’s drink without their knowledge.
It can include:
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putting alcohol into a non-alcoholic drink
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adding extra alcohol to an alcoholic drink
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slipping prescription or illegal drugs into an alcoholic or non-alcholic drink.
Alcohol is actually the drug most commonly used in drink spiking.
The use of other drugs, such as benzodiazepines (like Rohypnol), GHB or ketamine is relatively rare.
These drugs are colourless and odourless so they are less easily detected. They cause drowsiness, and can cause “blackouts” and memory loss at high doses.
Perpetrators may spike victims’ drinks to commit sexual assault. But according to the data, the most common type o...
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