This summer, be aware of spiking at events, shows, parties and other social events.

Victim-survivors of spiking tend to be younger (26 on average) and women are at much higher risk (representing 74% of spiking victim-survivors).

Sometimes perpetrators spike another person to make it easier to commit another crime against them. This is often sexual offending (sexual assault or rape) but alternatively this could be theft, physical violence or another type of crime (GOV.UK).

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Spiking is never the fault or responsibility of the victim-survivor.

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EQUISS expects venues to take a zero-tolerance approach to anyone caught spiking others – read our recommendations to venues below.

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What is spiking?

Spiking is when someone deliberately gives another person alcohol or drugs without their knowledge or consent.

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Spiking includes:

• Putting alcohol in a someone’s drink that is supposed to be alcohol-free

• Giving someone a stronger drink than they requested

• Putting drugs into someone’s food or drink without their knowledge or permission

• Topping up someone’s alcoholic drink without their knowledge or permission

• Injecting someone with drugs without their knowledge or permission

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Spiking in any form is a crime. People found to be drink spiking can face tough sentences.

It is a crime to maliciously administer any poison or destructive thing (such as alcohol or drugs) to another person to endanger their life, cause them grievous bodily harm, or intentionally aggrieve or annoy them.

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Spiking: factsheet – GOV.UK

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Spiking symptoms

Victim-survivors of spiking often describe it as an out-of-body experience, where they could hear and feel but could not open their eyes, speak or move.

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Spiking symptoms can take effect quickly – as little as 20 minutes. Many victim-survivors of spiking report feeling sick, confused and dizzy before experiencing more severe symptoms.

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• Feeling drunk after little or no alcohol

• Nausea & vomiting

• Sudden

• Confusion, disorientation, dizziness

• Hallucinations

• Sudden changes in body temperature – this can show up as a fever, chills, chattering teeth

• Unconsciousness

• Loss of bladder or bowel control

• Inability to stand, speak, concentrate or see

• Seizures

• Shortness of breath

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Reporting spiking

90% of drink spiking incidents go unreported (Drinkaware & Anglia Ruskin).

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If you’d like to report a spiking incident, our team is here to help. We can help you through the process of reporting to the police.

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Report drink spiking here.

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What should venues do?  

One of the biggest barriers to reporting spiking is not being able to remember the incident clearly.

Venues have a critical role in stamping out spiking at their premises. Aiding police reports, implementing preventive measures, and supporting victim-survivors are all part of a venue’s responsibilities.  

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Zero-tolerance

• Maintain a strict, zero-tolerance towards spiking – evident in your company policies and culture

• Immediately remove and ban anyone caught spiking others on your premises

Duty of care

• Call emergency services if a person is in distress

• Provide a dedicated safe space away from noise, disturbance, and crowds for victim-survivors of suspected spiking

• Immediately administer first aid and make a medical referral

o Call 999 without delay if a person appears seriously ill

o Do not assume the person is simply drunk

o Staff should stay with the individual and find trusted persons to the victim where possible

• Support the victim-survivor in contacting police

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Working with authorities

• Report incidents of spiking to the police

• Staff should never discourage a victim-survivor from reporting

• Immediately secure and preserve relevant CCTV footage

• Ensure robust incident logging, including: time, description of victim-survivor, who reported it, what was observed, and any CCTV coverage

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Prevention measures

• Deliver regular and up-to-date staff training on recognising the signs of spiking and relevant policies and procedures for handling an incident

• Provide prevention measures at the bar such as drinks covers and test strips

• Well-maintained CCTV recording

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Policies

• Have and abide by your

o Safeguarding policies and procedures

o Operational policies

o Health and safety policies

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Messaging

• Messaging and signage referencing drink spiking from the venue should be perpetrator focussed and avoid victim-blaming

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Learn more

This blog was written using information from the following resources:

90% of drink spiking incidents go unreported according to research by Drinkaware and Anglia Ruskin University | Drinkaware

Nearly one million UK adults experienced drink spiking in the past year, new data reveals | Drinkaware

Spiking statistics: insights from the 2025 Monitor

GOV.UK

Spiking: factsheet - GOV.UK