Drink Spiking

There's a young woman being helped from the bar, she looks completely trashed but is actually alert and thinking clearly. She's had less than a glass of beer but her arms and legs aren't responding. By the time her friend helps her to the car her limbs will hardly move at all and she wonders if she's having a stroke. It's a warm, sunny afternoon in Nelson and she's terrified.

On another night in another city a thirty-something is out for a beer - three and a bit beers actually, but not nearly enough to get shit-faced. Suddenly he starts to feel light- headed, and things are spinning as if he's been partying for hours. He decides to head for home but a few yards down the road from the pub he's viciously attacked and mugged. Struggling to escape, he crashes over a fence and smashes up his leg. At the hospital things are still weird, there are gaps in his memory and no one seems entirely sympathetic. After all - he went out, got pissed, got mugged, and broke his leg - end of story, right?

These incidents are true, and both involved NMIT (Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology) students who went out for a drink and got more than they bargained for. Drink spiking is a reality, and keeping out of the statistics requires being aware of the risks and signs. Whether for sex, theft, or just for a laugh, drink spikers are looking for potential victims who are: a) less likely to be taking basic precautions and b) less likely to be aware of early warning symptoms.

Opinions vary on just how prevalent drink spiking is and whether or not it's on the rise, but everyone seems to agree on one thing; when people know what to avoid, what to do, and what to look out for they're less likely to be spiked, and more likely to seek help in time if it does happen. Over 60 different drugs are recognised as potential spiking agents and a number of them are scarily available and cheap. On top of that, most are tasteless, odorless and colourless, and are available in drops, powder or pills so small they're virtually impossible to see in a glass. Although the risks associated with drink spiking are many, probably the most worrying is the likelihood that a spiked person may become the victim of a Drug Assisted Sexual Assault (DASA). On top of that, the memory-loss associated with spiking and the speed at which some drugs leave the system mean that it can be hard to assemble sufficient evidence to bring a prosecution, whether or not the victim can identify the other party.

The law states that when someone is drugged, unconscious or incapacitated they are unable to give consent to sex. Sex without consent is a crime but in terms of prosecutions, it's widely accepted that drink spiking and related DASA are under-reported. According to Wayne McCoy of the Nelson CIB, many victims are either too embarrassed to come forward, or too unsure of what happened to give a clear report to anyone. While not downplaying the legitimacy of drink-spiking claims in any way, Wayne points out that with the various mixes of alcohol, drugs and party pills that some clubbers get into, a sudden, uncharacteristic loss of inhibition, black-outs or memory loss, whether self-induced or otherwise, are not all that uncommon. In particular, Detective Mc Coy cites the combination of certain party-pills and alcohol as being the most unpredictable mix. All the more reason, he says, for drinkers to travel in groups - that way if someone starts to lose it they're not alone. It's important that anyone who seems a bit out of it has someone to get them to a safe place as quickly as possible, and that doesn't mean just telling your mate to head for home or popping them into a cab. A number of victims of DASA had well-intentioned friends who took these steps but it wasn't enough.

Effects of Spiking

Feeling noticeably drunker than you'd expect
Dizziness or queasiness/nausea
Drowsiness, confusion, disorientation or loss of consciousness
Wild behavior, lack of self control, increased confidence
Problems with co-ordination or partial paralysis

It's important to realize too that 'spiking' doesn't always involve drugs. More commonly, alcohol alone is used to get someone into a state of disadvantage. Single drinks that are actually doubles or a constantly refilled glass can easily catch someone unaware - in fact, the use of alcohol is connected with half of all sexual assaults in NZ. Spiking can also be carried out via other carriers than alcohol. Overseas, cigarettes soaked in various substances have recently emerged in date rape offending. When lit, the substance evaporates for inhalation, is absorbed almost immediately into the lungs, and then passes straight into the brain.

Since awareness of drink spiking has increased, a variety of anti-spiking products have come onto the market. Although a number of test kits and various anti-spiking caps have been produced, not all are available in NZ just yet. For example, the 'Spikey' fits into bottlenecks to allow a straw only to be inserted- it's widely available in the UK and Oz, but so far, no NZ distributor has been signed up. Available in glow-in the-dark and neon colours the Spikey can be packed, along with other personal protection products, into handbags and pockets; so expect your mum to be popping a few in with your next condom handout anytime soon. Similar products include the Alcotop (www.alcotop.co.uk) and Safeflo (www.safeflo.com.au)

Avoid being Spiked - stay safe tips

Go for bottles over glasses
Watch your drink at all times
Only smoke your own cigarettes
Stay with a friend
Watch your drink being opened or poured and ask to keep the cap
Don’t accept drinks from others unless they’re a trusted friend or you’ve seen them poured
If you decide to go home with someone let others know – even bar staff
If you feel dizzy, or drunk after only a few drinks - tell a friend fast

Other anti-spiking products that are available in NZ are based on detection as well as prevention. Drink Spike Detector cards and coasters are available through the NZ Drug Detection Agency (www.nzdda.co.nz), the credit-card sized tests (pictured right) cost $9.95 for a pack of 6 tests.

One of the simplest ways to reduce the risk that you'll be spiked is to choose bottles over glasses, and ask to keep the cap. That way, between drinks, you can sit the cap or lid back on the bottle. If bar staff tell you they aren't allowed to give you the cap - that's crap. According to Craig White, Regional Manager for the NZ Hospitality Association (HANZ), under on-licensing requirements bar staff are required to make sure they open all bottled drinks sold but patrons can have the cap if they ask for it. They can even request that their drink be opened in front of them. So, if bar staff refuse to co-operate with either of these measures ask to speak with the duty manager.

One initiative that not only helps to keep patrons safe, but also raises the awareness of not leaving drinks unattended, is the labeling of abandoned drinks in bars. Using hook-on symbols or swizzle stick flags, various groups and bar owners are drawing attention to the risk in a practical way. Customers who leave drinks unattended can return to find them carrying a warning: "This drink may be spiked". The photo shown here is from a recent campaign organized by the Victoria University Students' Association and run through eight Wellington bars.

As this article mentioned earlier, no one seems to have definitive evidence as to the actual level of drink spiking in NZ, or what the trend is - but there is complete agreement on one thing - drinkers who take basic precautions like staying with their drinks and not accepting free ones are less attractive to spikers in the first place. Stick with a mate, don't accept free drinks just because you're a broke student, and ask to keep the cap!

This article was printed with the kind permission of SANITI - Student Association of Nelson-Marlborough Institute of Technology Inc. Thanks guys!