Warning signs

• Feeling dizzy or faint
• Feeling ill or sleepy
• Feeling intoxicated even if you have only had a little alcohol to drink.
• Passing out
• Waking up feeling uncomfortable and disoriented, with memory blanks about the night before.

Reducing the risks
Awareness of drink spiking is increasing. As a community we can all help to prevent drink spiking and its harms. The more people know about the problem, the better we can reduce the risks. By targeting high-risk environments in which drink spiking is known to have occurred, such as bars, clubs and parties, we can inform and train staff, party hosts and cab drivers, as well as the people who attend these venues and events, to take appropriate action.
By making sure your friends are aware of the risks, you too can help to make the social environment safer for everyone.
Many victims do not report the incident until it is too late to collect vital evidence, such as testing urine to detect the presence of drugs.
Others may be treated in hospital but do not report the incident because they are embarrassed or believe it was their fault.
Drink spiking can make anyone vulnerable. By reporting all incidents we can help to reduce the opportunities for offenders to commit these crimes, and to ensure that offenders are prosecuted.

How to avoid drink spiking

• When out at a pub, club or party, watch your drinks.
• Avoid sharing drinks, and be wary of accepting drinks from people you don’t know very well. However, remember that many people have their drinks spiked by someone they know.
• Buy your own drinks and know what you are drinking. Do not drink something you did not open, or see opened or poured. If you feel dizzy or ill, ask someone you trust to take you to a safe place.
• Try to stick with your group. Potential offenders may try to isolate you from your friends.
• Keep an eye on your friends. If someone collapses and is unconscious, call an ambulance immediately—but do not leave them alone.
• Report the incident—report sexual assault to the police and seek assistance from a counsellor or health centre.
• Report drink spiking or suspected spiking to venue staff or the police.
• Telephone 000 or the nearest police station.
• If you suspect that your drink has been spiked, your doctor can assist in testing for the presence of drugs. Traces of certain drugs can be picked up through urine or blood tests within 24 hours.

Drink spiking is serious
Drink spiking is not funny. Slipping someone a mickey can seem like a joke or something out of a spy movie, but it has serious criminal and health consequences.