Drinks spiked with alcohol or drugs can make a person seriously vulnerable. Spiking someone’s drink carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence in the UK.
Drink Spiking is when a substance is added to a drink without the drinker's knowledge or consent to make them vulnerable. This could be recreational/party drugs, such as Ecstasy and LSD, and/or other drugs such as Rohypnol (Roofie) and Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB), being added to drinks and which can sedate/incapacitate a person. It could also be additional shots of alcohol being added to drinks without the persons knowledge or consent to make them stronger. It is hard to tell if a drink has been tampered with, as these drugs can be odourless, colourless and tasteless.
Injection Spiking is when a drug is administered directly into a person via a needle without the persons knowledge or consent to make them vulnerable. Injection Spiking can pose additional health risks due to its use of a needle. Reports of this method of spiking are rare however Police Scotland have recently begun conducting enquiries following a handful of reports across the country. We encourage students to be vigilant and to contact the emergency services (999) and/or NHS (111) if you think you have been spiked by injection.
Spiking can be done for a variety of reasons, which could include theft, sexual assault, rape or even done as a "prank/joke". However, administering a substance to a person without their knowledge or consent is likely to be considered a criminal act and any student reported to have carried out this kind of activity shall be liable to criminal proceedings and/or disciplinary proceedings from GSA.
Some effects of substances can be felt/seen relatively quickly (after 15-30mins) and some symptoms can last for several hours. If you, or someone else, feel strange, not normal and/or are noticeably more drunk than what you would consider usual for the amount of alcohol consumed, then seek assistance straight away - contact a trusted friend or relative (or NHS 24 or the Police).
We encourage students to remain vigilant when out partying. When having nights out or socials, aim to inform trusted friends or relatives where you are going and when you'll be back, and always think twice before accepting drinks (or other substances) from strangers wherever possible.
Spiking is never the victims fault. However, there are things you can do to keep yourself safe and to look out for others when you are out or socialising. See the Scottish Government site for further resources https://safer.scot/spiking/
Find out more: Drinkaware – Drink Spiking and Date Rape Drugs.
Drink Spiking is when a substance is added to a drink without the drinker's knowledge or consent to make them vulnerable. This could be recreational/party drugs, such as Ecstasy and LSD, and/or other drugs such as Rohypnol (Roofie) and Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB), being added to drinks and which can sedate/incapacitate a person. It could also be additional shots of alcohol being added to drinks without the persons knowledge or consent to make them stronger. It is hard to tell if a drink has been tampered with, as these drugs can be odourless, colourless and tasteless.
Injection Spiking is when a drug is administered directly into a person via a needle without the persons knowledge or consent to make them vulnerable. Injection Spiking can pose additional health risks due to its use of a needle. Reports of this method of spiking are rare however Police Scotland have recently begun conducting enquiries following a handful of reports across the country. We encourage students to be vigilant and to contact the emergency services (999) and/or NHS (111) if you think you have been spiked by injection.
Spiking can be done for a variety of reasons, which could include theft, sexual assault, rape or even done as a "prank/joke". However, administering a substance to a person without their knowledge or consent is likely to be considered a criminal act and any student reported to have carried out this kind of activity shall be liable to criminal proceedings and/or disciplinary proceedings from GSA.
Some effects of substances can be felt/seen relatively quickly (after 15-30mins) and some symptoms can last for several hours. If you, or someone else, feel strange, not normal and/or are noticeably more drunk than what you would consider usual for the amount of alcohol consumed, then seek assistance straight away - contact a trusted friend or relative (or NHS 24 or the Police).
We encourage students to remain vigilant when out partying. When having nights out or socials, aim to inform trusted friends or relatives where you are going and when you'll be back, and always think twice before accepting drinks (or other substances) from strangers wherever possible.
Spiking is never the victims fault. However, there are things you can do to keep yourself safe and to look out for others when you are out or socialising. See the Scottish Government site for further resources https://safer.scot/spiking/
Find out more: Drinkaware – Drink Spiking and Date Rape Drugs.
What to do if you think you or someone else have been spiked:
- Tell a bar manager, bouncer or member of staff
- Speak with a trusted friend or relative (or a medical professional/NHS 24 or the Police) and get to a safe place. Stay with them and keep talking to them.
- Do not go home alone or leave the venue with someone you don’t know/recently met or don't trust
- Do not drink more alcohol as this could lead to more serious problems
- For urgent help, call the emergency services on 999.
- If feeling unwell, ask a trusted friend or relative to take you to the nearest A&E.
- Make a report to the Police as soon as you can (most drugs leave the body within 72 hours of being taken and some in as little as 12 hours).
One of the effects of date rape drugs can be amnesia, or loss of memory. That means it’s possible that you won’t be sure if you’ve been assaulted. But if you suspect you’ve been physically or sexually assaulted it’s important to tell someone. Try to confide in someone you trust like a friend or family member.
If you or someone else have been sexually assaulted - use GSA's Report and Support tool to report the incident and refer to the 'Sexual Misconduct + Assault' Support section for further information and support resources.
AND/OR Report to the Police: Please report your concerns to Police Scotland at your local police station. You can also call the police non-urgently to report something of concern or even discuss a situation on 101, online or via 999 if it is an emergency.
You can also report the incident anonymously by calling crime stoppers at any point on 0800 555 111.
You can also report the incident anonymously by calling crime stoppers at any point on 0800 555 111.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Take care of yourself. It’s important that you take care of yourself. If you’ve heard something distressing or if something is troubling you, the GSA's Counselling Service offers confidential help to students. Register online via: https://live.uniticms.com/gsamhw/ to request a counselling appointment.
If you are in immediate danger or are seriously injured, please call 999 (or 112 from a mobile).
If you need immediate support or feel in crisis, we have listed several emergency services contact details on GSA's external website that you may find helpful.
Students can access information on GSA's student services here
Staff can access information on GSA staff services here
Students and staff can also access support through: Papyrus Hopeline247 - Prevention of young suicide. This is a 24/7 service for young people under the age of 35 who are experiencing thoughts of suicide, as well as for anyone who is concerned that a young person could be thinking about suicide. Call 0800 068 41 41, text 07860039967 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org to stay safe or to keep someone safe from suicide.
Take care of yourself. It’s important that you take care of yourself. If you’ve heard something distressing or if something is troubling you, the GSA's Counselling Service offers confidential help to students. Register online via: https://live.uniticms.com/gsamhw/ to request a counselling appointment.
If you are in immediate danger or are seriously injured, please call 999 (or 112 from a mobile).
If you need immediate support or feel in crisis, we have listed several emergency services contact details on GSA's external website that you may find helpful.
Students can access information on GSA's student services here
Staff can access information on GSA staff services here
Students and staff can also access support through: Papyrus Hopeline247 - Prevention of young suicide. This is a 24/7 service for young people under the age of 35 who are experiencing thoughts of suicide, as well as for anyone who is concerned that a young person could be thinking about suicide. Call 0800 068 41 41, text 07860039967 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org to stay safe or to keep someone safe from suicide.