A quarter of 18-43 year olds believe they have ever been given drugs or alcohol without their knowledge or consent, shocking figures reveal.
St John Ambulance is urging the public to learn ‘first aid’ to help anyone affected during the Christmas festive season.
Spiking can involve adding alcohol or drugs to drinks, needle sticking – which involves injecting people – or spiking vapes or cigarettes, which involves putting drugs into these products.
Symptoms of spiking include feeling drunk or drowsy, being “eaten” or drunker than expected, mental confusion, slurred speech, memory loss, loss of inhibitions, nausea, vomiting, and breathing problems.
Victims may also experience muscle spasms or seizures, loss of consciousness, or a severe hangover after drinking little or no alcohol.
In new advice, St. John said victims should be kept hydrated by encouraging them to drink water little and often, keep it in a safe place and have someone with them at all times.
If a person thinks he/she has been infected, he/she or a friend should alert bar staff and police, and report any suspicious behavior.
If the victim becomes unresponsive, others should place the victim in the recovery position and call an ambulance.
Spiking can involve adding alcohol or drugs to drinks, sticking needles – which involves injecting people – or spiking vapes or cigarettes, putting drugs into these products (file photo)
St John Ambulance is urging the public to learn ‘first aid’ to help anyone affected during the Christmas festive season (file photo)
Members of the public should also know how to perform CPR if someone stops breathing.
Their survey of 2,000 people in the UK found that 23 per cent of 18-43 year olds felt they had ‘definitely’ had a peak, rising to 41 per cent, including those who think they had ‘possibly’ had a peak had.
The organisation’s medical director, Dr Lynn Thomas, said: ‘Our latest research shows that this terrible crime continues to wreak havoc on people’s social lives when they just want to get out and enjoy time together.
‘While we fully support all efforts to prevent and prosecute surge incidents, St John wants to teach people how to look after each other when the worst happens.
‘Recognizing the symptoms of surges is a crucial first step in that care and will help protect victims from further harm.
‘Staying with a spiky victim, keeping an eye on him and being ready to administer first aid can save his life. We urge people to equip themselves with that knowledge.’
People are urged to search Spiking online for more information.
Although spiking is already illegal, the Labor government has said it will make giving alcohol or drugs to someone without their knowledge or consent a specific criminal offence.
Statistics released last December show that police receive an average of 561 reports of spikes per month. However, peaks are believed to be underreported.