Dear Aspect, what do I do if my friend gets spiked?
Hope: Everyone reacts differently to being spiked so it’s a difficult question to ask. What you need to do is take your friend to a safe space, whether that is the bar so staff can help out or outside with the bouncers. Then wait there until you have a ride home or someone sober and safe can walk you there. Make sure that they are drinking water throughout the whole process, hydration is important! Once you’re home, get them ready for bed and sit with them and watch them for a while. The last thing you want to do is take them home and leave them, if they throw up or pass out you need to make sure that they’re ok. I know my answer is pretty simple but like I said, it’s a difficult situation to be in because you can never tell how the drugs will affect someone and you don’t know what state you are going to be in.
Sam: The effects of spiking can vary depending on the variant that was used, but if your friend is showing any symptom of being spiked, do not leave them alone. Stay with them and get them to safe place so that person is no longer in the situation where the drink was spiked. This can be vital to make sure that the person is not at any further risk as you can never tell why a person decides to spike someone. If you can, seek out others who can help provide active support such as other trusted friends, nearby security or the bar staff just to provide additional safety for the individual who has been spiked. This can also be an assurance to getting home and you want a taxi or someone sober to walk with you. If your friends condition doesn’t deteriorate further, then you can take them home. Once you are both home and safe, you will need to monitor them for a while as they rest. Make sure they are not laying on their back while resting just incase they are sick. Just make sure they are not alone in this, as this can be a scary ordeal for anyone.
Aspect, what’s this latest craze about drugging with needles?
Hope: Now this has mainly been happening in cities but people have been going round clubs and bars injecting people with drugs. I do not know anyone that has had this happened to them or experienced it myself but it sounds absolutely terrifying. Not only do you know have to watch your drinks but also be careful with showing any skin. You don’t know what you’re going to be injected with and you don’t know what diseases you can catch from the needle. All I can tell you is be careful when you go out. As much as you want to have a good time, please make sure that you are aware of your surroundings and keep an eye on your friends.
Sam: Unfortunately, this is not something that has been mentioned in the news a lot and this lack of awareness is shocking. Sadly, there have been student reports of people being injected with drugs, so we not only have to be careful with our drinks but just with ourselves in general. While I do not know anyone that this has happened to, it is important that we spread awareness about how dangerous clubbing can be. The only advice is to be aware at all times, drink only with people you know and trust and as much as you want to let loose and have a good time, it’s empirical that you stay alert to your surroundings at all times.
Hey, I know this may seem like a ridiculous question but is there any way that I can prevent myself from getting spiked?
Hope: This is another tricky question to answer! To prevent yourself being spiked, the first thing you need to do is make sure you’re with people who you trust 100 percent. When you’re with good friends, you know that they’re keeping an eye on you and that will look after you if you ever find yourself getting spiked. The second thing you need to do is watch your drink! Buy drink covers, most clubs and bars are taking it upon themselves to cover drinks with cling film. It’s pretty much common sense when it comes to watching your drink: make sure you don’t leave it anywhere, cover the top, leave it with someone trustworthy, never take a drink from someone you don’t know, etc. Also, if you feel like someone is rubbing cream on you, you might be about to get injected!
Sam: This is quite difficult to answer as we can never truly decipher someones motivations where spiking is concerned and you never know when it might happen. Nevertheless, there are still precautions you can take to prevent this from happening. First is to always buy your own drinks and watch it be poured, so you know exactly what has gone into it. So, don’t accept drinks from strangers either. No matter how attractive the person buying that drink is, do not take that risk. The next thing is to never leave your drink unattended while dancing or going to the toilet, all it takes is a quick second for someone to spike you. Also, don’t drink or taste anyone else’s beverage because you never know whether that person has left their drink alone or put something in it themselves. It truly is about being cautious of your surroundings and being alert at all times.