Research from anti drink spiking organisation StopTopps reveals 38% of respondents have been a victim of drink spiking at least once – and 98% of victims didn’t report the crime to police.
The media has finally picked up on the nightmare that is drink spiking, so StopTopps, the nonprofit dedicated to stamping out drink spiking, has shared some insights from research conducted earlier this year* to help inform the debate and understand the scale of the problem.
- 38% of respondents had been a victim of a drink spiking incident, suggesting incidents of drink spiking are far more common than crime figures suggest
- 98% of respondents didn’t report having their drink spiked to the police, suggesting both major barriers to reporting and a completely distorted understanding of the issue by the police and those considering crime statistics
- 28% of victims didn’t report it to the police because they didn’t think the police would believe them
- 27% of victims didn’t report it to the police because they were concerned there would be no action taken
- 19% of victims didn’t report it because they felt ashamed
- Of those who had reported their incidents to police, twice as many were not satisfied with the way the police treated them as were satisfied
- The vast majority of the spiking incidents occurred either in a pub/bar or a nightclub
- 38% of respondents think this happened in a pub or bar
- 46% of respondents think this happened in a nightclub
- 3% of respondents think this happened at a festival
- 12% of respondents think this happened at a house/private party
- Of those who had been spiked, 31% said it had happened to them on more than one occasion
- 70% of respondents said they worry about drink spiking on a night out
- 52% of respondents believe they were spiked by someone they didn’t know
- 23% of respondents had no idea who they were spiked by
- 23% of respondents believe they were spiked by someone they knew, but not well
- 2% of respondents believe they were spiked by a good friend
Dawn Dines, Stamp Out Spiking founder, commented:
‘The consequences of drink spiking can be catastrophic: it is often a precursor to rape, assault or robbery. Even when the intent of the spiker is relatively harmless – eg ‘getting the party going’ – the outcomes can be disastrous. We frequently hear, for example, from people who ended up driving when they did not realise they shouldn’t have until it was too late.
We feared that as lockdown came to an end, cases of spiking would surge and that is exactly what seems to be happening. We applaud all the brave people sharing their own experiences of being spiked and welcome the interest of the media.
We believe it is now essential that this crime is treated properly by police and funding is made available to conduct further research, educate people (including those working in clubs and bars) and help people protect themselves.’
*Online research survey conducted in May 2021 amongst 369 UK respondents
About us
SOS UK is a social enterprise dedicated to reducing drink spiking incidents in the UK and beyond through its campaigning and educational work and its StopTopps anti-drink spiking protective lids.
As an organisation we are committed to exposing the true extent of this appalling crime and making it utterly unacceptable. We will ensure people are aware of the dangers and are better equipped to prevent spiking incidents from happening. We will challenge the police to make victims feel more welcome and remove any perceived barriers to the reporting of spiking incidents.
With our StopTopps products we offer simple, low cost protective devices to keep drinkers safer. We aim to make these available to as many drinkers as possible at the times they most need them, and at as little cost as possible to them. We will work with drinks brands, venues, public health organisations and others to improve distribution and contribute towards the costs.
One day we hope no one needs a StopTopps to keep their drink safe – until then we campaign tirelessly to minimise incidents of drink spiking and improve the care and well-being of victims.