Symptoms of drink spiking

What is Drink Spiking

When a mind-altering substance such as drugs or alcohol is added to a drink without the owner of the drink knowing, this is referred to as drink spiking.

This mostly happens when a person is around a group of people that drink exceedingly too much alcohol. Not only females are targeted in drink spiking, though media reports usually focus on females being drugged through their drinks with so-called date rape drugs.

Some people spike another person's drink because they think that it is funny, or they want to be malicious. Sometimes drinks are spiked in order to take advantage of a person sexually and to assault or rape them when they are incapacitated by the substance that was put in the drink.

Sometimes drinks are spiked when a person was to physically assault someone or rob them.

Signs of Drink Spiking

The symptoms all depend on what kind of alcoholic beverage or drugs was used in the spiking.

In case anyone considers doing this to someone for fun, it should be made clear that tampering with another person’s drink is illegal, even if there is no assault corresponding with the act of altering the drink. The crime can result in a maximum prison sentence of 10 years if found guilty, so people who think that spiking someone’s drink unknowingly is a fun party game, should change their minds about this immediately because it is both dangerous and illegal.

If an assault or robbery accompanies the act, the prison sentences will be even higher.

Drink spiking can be malicious with the intent to hurt the victim through injury, or sexual assault. Some people also spike people’s drinks for fun as foolish jokes. Drink spiking occurs when alcohol and/or another drug is placed in a person's drink without their knowledge. Young women are common targets of drink spiking and the harms resulting include sexual assault, robbery and unsafe sex.

Many of these substances are quickly absorbed after being consumed, resulting in rapid onset of the effects. Symptoms to look out for include: Feeling dizzy or faint; feeling ill or sleepy; feeling drunk even if you think you’ve only had a little alcohol to drink; passing out; waking up feeling uncomfortable and confused, with memory blanks about the night before.
4 out of 5 victims are female.
Around half of drink spiking victims are aged under 24.
Of the reported drink spiking incidents, a majority have no associated criminal victimization, indicating that ‘prank spiking’ may be a common motivation for drink spiking.
Between 20 and 30 per cent of incidents reported to police involve sexual assault.
If you feel uncomfortable in the presence of the person you are with, leave their company and if you or your friends exhibit the above symptoms, including appearing intoxicated (loss of inhibitions, poor coordination, drowsiness, confusion or unconsciousness) after a small amount of alcohol, get to a safe place and seek help.

✓ Fact confirmed: Drink spiking Australian Drug Foundation; 20 July 2020

The effect of a drug being slipped into a drink will depend on the person’s size and age, also on the number of drugs that were put in the drink and how much was consumed.

Drugs that are spiked into drinks can come in various forms, including powder and liquids, and many of them will have no taste or odor, so a person will not be able to tell that their drink has been tampered with.

The most common kind of drugs used are the so-called date rape drugs such as gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), tranquilizers, most often benzodiazepines, including Valium and Rohypnol and ketamine.

These drugs are all depressants and slow down the nervous system, dulling responses and instincts.

Some symptoms that can occur after drinking a spiked beverage can include drowsiness or light-headedness, difficulty concentrating, feeling confused or disorientated, difficulty in speaking, loss of balance, lowered inhibitions, paranoia, amnesia and memory loss, or a ‘black-out’ of events.

Others includes a temporary loss of body, visual problems, blurred vision, hallucinations, nausea and vomiting, and unconsciousness.