If you/your friend have experienced drink spiking, please know it is never your fault, you are not alone, and there is support available.
Support at LSBU
You can access support by reporting a concern via LSBU’s confidential Report and Support platform. Someone from the Wellbeing Team will then get in touch with you to offer you support.
You can also talk to LSBU’s Security Team about your personal safety by calling them on 020 7815 8219 (or 020 7815 6666 if in an emergency), or get in touch with them by emailing security-office@lsbu.ac.uk
External support
- Going to your GP or A&E (in an emergency) if you are concerned about your health
- Victim Support offer advice and guidance to victims of crime on their website, plus a helpline number: 08 08 16 89 111
Spiking someone’s drink is a serious crime and carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence in the UK. You can report an incident of spiking to the police by:
- Calling 101
- Going to a police station to make a report
- Using this website
Different types of spiking can include the following substances being added to drinks: alcohol, illegal drugs and prescription drugs.
The effects of drink spiking vary depending on what you’ve been spiked with. Your symptoms could include:
- lowered inhibitions
- loss of balance
- feeling sleepy
- visual problems
- confusion
- nausea
- vomiting
- unconsciousness.
The symptoms will depend on lots of factors such as the substance or mix of substances used (including the dose), your size and weight, and how much alcohol you have already consumed.
If you or a friend start to feel strange or more drunk than you should be, then get help straight away.
Supporting others
If you think someone has been spiked, Drink Aware recommends the following steps:
- Tell a bar manager, bouncer or member of staff
- Stay with them and keep talking to them
- Call an ambulance if their condition deteriorates (for example if they seem unable to stand or talk, or are losing consciousness)
- Don’t let them go home on their own
- Don’t let them leave with someone you don’t know or trust
- Don’t let them drink more alcohol - this could lead to more serious problems
- Report the incident to the police by calling 999 or 101
See these FAQ's for more information:
What should I do in an emergency situation?
What is Report and Support?
What is sexual harassment?
I /someone else has experienced sexual misconduct. What support is available?
I'm worried about my drinking/ alcohol use. Where can I get support?
Something that's happened has negatively affected my studies. What can I do?
