Spiking symptoms: Five signs your drink may have been spiked, what is needle spiking and what to do next

Valentine's day is on the horizon, with many people heading to their local club or bar to take part in celebrations with friends.

In December 2023, the Home Office announced it would be updating the Criminal Justice Bill and the Offences Against The Person Act 1861 to make clear that drink spiking is illegal. However, drink spiking remains a real danger to adults across the UK, with a YouGov poll finding that 10% of women and 5% of men said they had been spiked. The signs and symptoms of drink spiking can be hard to recognise. We've put together everything you need to know, including five warning signs your drink may have been spiked and what to do next.

What is spiking?

Drink spiking is when someone adds something, for example alcohol or drugs, to your drink without your consent which may impair you. Spiking in any form is a crime and those convicted can face tough prison sentences.

In a YouGov poll published in December 2023, 10% of women and 5% of men said they had been spiked. The average age of victims across all ranges was 26-years-old, with women making up for 74% of cases.

Between April 2022 and 2023, police received 6,732 reports of drink spiking, with 957 of those reports relating to needle spiking.

What is needle spiking?

Needle spiking involves the victim being injected with a needle. Initial symptoms often materialising as a small red bump, pinching or scratching sensation.

This type of spiking carries additional risks, as if the needle has been reused you could catch something from anyone else who has been injected with that needle.

Five signs your drink has been spiked

These are the five warning signs that your drink may have been spiked according to security experts at Get Licensed.

The appearance of your drink

One of the first signs indicating your drink has been spiked is if the drink appears to have excess fizziness, has changed to a more cloudy appearance or the taste doesn’t seem quite right. If you spot any of these signs, ask for the drink to be poured away.

You become confused or start to hallucinate

If you or one of your friends start to become confused or even hallucinate, this is a strong indicator that one of your drinks has been spiked. These symptoms won’t always mean your drink has been spiked, but if you do start to feel confused, it’s best to leave the premises with someone you trust and seek medical help.

You start to feel nauseous or experience vomiting 

If you’re on a night out with friends and one of you starts to feel nauseous or vomit, it can be easy to blame this on how how much alcohol you've consumed, but it’s important to consider the possibility that your drink has been spiked. If you start to experience vomiting don’t drink any more alcohol. Instead, drink water, stay with a trusted friend and monitor your symptoms. 

You start to experience breathing difficulties

If a person's drink has been spiked, it’s common that one of the side effects will be difficulty breathing or a person falling unconscious. Whether a drink has been spiked or not, breathing difficulty should be taken seriously, especially if it results in a person collapsing. As soon as you or someone you know starts to have difficulty breathing, seek immediate medical attention.

You experience an unusually long hangover

Hangovers are common after a night out, but usually, the symptoms only last for the following day. If you are experiencing intense hangover symptoms or you have a hangover but didn’t consume much alcohol, these could be the lasting effects of a spiked drink. If symptoms persist, it’s advised to speak to a health professional.

What to do if someone has been spiked?

If you think either you or a friend has been spiked it's important to tell someone as soon as possible. Police UK recommend alerting a member of staff or security at the venue and to stay with the person who has spiked, keep talking to them and do not let them go home alone or leave with a stranger.

If you are worried you can call 111 or if symptoms persist call an ambulance. If the person is taken to A&E, you should tell the medical staff that you suspect the victim has been spiked, medical professionals will then be able to conduct urine and blood tests to determine which drugs are in their system.

How to protect your drink from being spiked

Shahzad Ali, security expert and CEO of Get Licensed has shared advice on how to protect your drink from being spiked on a night out.

Ali said: "Despite the UK government announcing plans to introduce stricter laws with drink spiking, it’s still a worry many people have on a night out, so knowing how to prevent this from happening is essential, for both the safety of you and others around you.

"If you’re out drinking with friends, it’s important to always keep your drink in your hand and not leave it on a table or out of sight. If you’re in a crowded bar or club, it’s worth using your hand to cover the top of your glass so that no substances can be dropped into the drink. If your drink does leave your sight and you’re worried it might have been tampered with, check the appearance of the drink and whether it has changed colour or has excess fizziness."

Ali continued: "However, if you are concerned then the best course of action to take is to ask for the drink to be poured away. It’s also vital that you’re aware of the key signs which could indicate your drink or that of a friend has been spiked. Confusion, hallucinations, breathing problems and vomiting are all common symptoms so if a person starts to display these, alert a member of staff, security expert or the police if you feel like you or someone you know could be in danger."

Sarah McCann is NationalWorld’s Entertainment and Trends Writer, who specialises in stories around TV, Film and Health. If you liked this article you can follow Sarah on X (Twitter) here. You can also share your thoughts in the comment section below.