Women are boycotting clubs after shocking injection spiking cases. What is true and what isn’t?

By Louis Shankar

Published Oct 26, 2021 at 11:25 AM

Reading time: 3 minutes

23845

Since the reopening of clubs and nightlife over the summer, there has been a surge in reports of drink spiking across the UK. The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said there have been “198 confirmed reports of drink spiking in September and October across England, Scotland, Wales  and Northern Ireland, plus 24 reports of some form of injection.”

Both The New York Times and The Washington Post have published reports about the sudden and worrying rise in needle spiking, where drugs are injected into unsuspecting victims with syringes in crowded venues. It is an unusual and deeply distressing phenomenon. Fiona Measham, professor and chair of criminology at the University of Liverpool and director of The Loop, a non-profit organisation established in 2013—which provides drug safety testing, welfare and harm reduction services at nightclubs, festivals and other leisure events—explained to The New York Times how needle spiking is “not impossible but it’s really unlikely.”

Of course, its supposed rarity doesn’t mean that these allegations should be dismissed so easily, “I think the anxieties are very real, the anger toward nightclubs is real.” Details around such an incident are often hard to ascertain, given those involved are usually to some extent drunk, and drugs used in spiking tend to affect memory as well as perception.

This spiking ‘epidemic’ has, it seems, been exacerbated by the start of term for universities around the UK. Young people, many of whom won’t have been clubbing before, are suddenly finding themselves in new situations, in new cities, with new groups of friends. People are vulnerable—and disgustingly, yet unsurprisingly, there are those who will take advantage of that.

Issues of women’s safety were forced into the spotlight following the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Metropolitan police officer and later, Sabina Nessa—but practical and pragmatic policy to crack down on violence against women still seems uncertain. That some police forces have responded poorly to the situation is particularly disappointing—though again, not shocking. It is a scary and anxious time for us all, especially for women and feminine people.

Tomorrow, Wednesday 27 October, sees a boycott of nightclubs around the country, organised by groups from more than 60 universities. Organisers hope to highlight issues of women’s safety and to put economic pressure—sometimes the only kind people will listen to—on venue owners to tackle the escalating problem. An online petition calling for a legal requirement that nightclubs “thoroughly search guests on entry” has amassed over 165,000 signatures, meaning it will now be considered for debate in Parliament.

@libbyjelliott

still boycott but do more if you can!! stay safe #fyp #boycott #spiking #wednesday27

♬ original sound - this charming scran

Within this ongoing and developing situation, social media has since become a double-edged sword. Through Twitter and Instagram, people can quickly share stories, warn others about particularly dangerous locations, and share resources for help and advice. An infographic by Student Beans—a company that organises and coordinates student discounts—was shared widely over Instagram and has been liked over 600,000 times.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Student Beans (@studentbeans)

That being said, misinformation and dangerous rumours can also spread quickly via social media, with people sharing and reposting unverified and sometimes harmful stories. One such story claimed that someone was diagnosed with HIV shortly after a needle injury. The National AIDS Trust explained on Twitter that this was “demonstrably false” as contracting “HIV from a needle injury is extremely rare. A diagnosis takes weeks.” (If you think you have potentially been exposed to HIV in the past 72 hours, go to A&E or a sexual health clinic immediately—they can prescribe PEP—post-exposure prophylaxis—which greatly reduces the risk of HIV infection).

Not only did this promote a dangerous stigma about HIV, but it was based on misinformation and hearsay. It is important—vital, even—to distinguish and highlight verifiable concerns from unconfirmed rumours. We need to be able to tell real stories apart from fake news in order to be able to properly gauge the extent of the problem and, thus, work towards the best solution.

Reading these news reports, I am reminded of Michaela Coel’s phenomenal and award-winning television show, I May Destroy You, which explored deftly and acutely issues of spiking, sexual assault, rape and trauma. If you haven’t watched it, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Not only does Coel approach the complexity of these issues skillfully and with aplomb, but she is also provocative and doesn’t hold back her punches—perhaps asking more questions than she answers.

While it is unfortunate and downright infuriating that there seems no accountability to the men perpetrating these attacks—after all the responsibility lies with them and not women—any information about how women may better be able to protect themselves should be noted. Drinkaware has advice for what to do if you think a friend has been spiked:

Tell a bar manager, bouncer or member of staff 
– Stay with them and keep talking to them 
– Call an ambulance if their condition deteriorates 
– Don’t let them go home on their own 
– Don’t let them leave with someone you don’t know or trust 
– Don’t let them drink more alcohol—this could lead to more serious problems

The symptoms of drink spiking can vary depending on the person and the drug used but can include: lowered inhibitions, loss of balance, feeling sleepy, visual problems, confusion, nausea, vomiting and even unconsciousness. It can be difficult to tell these symptoms apart from the effects of alcohol—but if you or a friend start to feel strange or drunker than you feel you should be, then get help immediately.

Drink spiking can happen in any situation at any time, either at pre-drinks, a house party or on a night out. It is, needless to be said, never the victim’s fault. But there are a few things you can do to lower the chance of being spiked: never leave a drink unattended, don’t accept a drink from a stranger (especially if you have no idea where it has come from), avoid drinking too much in one night and always try and stick with a group of friends.

Keep On Reading

By Charlie Sawyer

Trump administration announces plan to offer US immigrants $1,000 to self-deport

By Sam Davies

These scream queens walked so horror it girl Jenna Ortega could run

By Charlie Sawyer

Aldi just became the first UK supermarket to provide free in-store period products and transphobes are mad

By Charlie Sawyer

SHEIN faces fines from EU for deceiving customers with fake discounts and misleading information

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Everything you need to know about Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans’ love triangle in Materialists

By Charlie Sawyer

How rediscovering Nintendogs as an adult has helped my anxiety

By Abby Amoakuh

Julia Fox reveals her ex-husband secretly baptised her son and warns women of loser fathers

By Charlie Sawyer

What is gang stalking, how to stop it, and is it even real?

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Channel 4’s Go Back to Where You Came From is a disturbing social experiment that completely misses the mark

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Hannah Berner under fire for microaggressions in Megan Thee Stallion interview

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Latino boycott of Coca-Cola goes viral after TikTok claims the company reported workers to ICE

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Belgian court lets convicted rapist go free so he can become a gynaecologist

By Abby Amoakuh

Harry Potter reboot hit with racist backlash for casting Black actor Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape

By Charlie Sawyer

Johnny Depp plays the victim once more and anoints himself crash test dummy for #MeToo

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

We sat down with Justina Miles, the iconic Deaf performer who stole the show during Rihanna’s Super Bowl performance

By Charlie Sawyer

Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz Beckham hire a lawyer to battle misinformation amid growing family rift

By Abby Amoakuh

A lawyer breaks down Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s legal battles. Here’s the verdict

By Abby Amoakuh

How TikTok Live in Kenya is fueling concerns over virtual abuse and child exploitation

By Charlie Sawyer

Mason Disick starts trending on X after rumours circulate that he has a secret child named Piper

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

France holds largest child abuse trial in history on former surgeon accused of abusing 300 young victims