Work to stop spiking is being stepped up in Cumbria this week to tie in with the return of students to university – and to help keep nights out as safe as possible for all.
Anti-spiking products will be handed out and advice offered to people heading out to pubs, restaurants, clubs and venues.
Police patrols are also being carried out in some of the busier nightlife areas in and around this period to offer reassurance and advice.
Agencies and organisations including Cumbria Police, the University of Cumbria, the Office of the Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council are backing the work.
Efforts to prevent spiking continue all year but will receive enhanced attention with the return of freshers’ week and to help people new to the county.
Detective Inspector Mike Taylor is the Cumbria Police dedicated operational detective inspector overseeing work on the issue of violence against women and girls.
He said: “Keeping people safe and preventing offences such as spiking are issues that are important to us all-year-round.
“But we are placing extra emphasis at this point in the year due to freshers’ week taking place and students either starting or returning to university and college.”
Spiking is giving someone alcohol or drugs without them knowing or agreeing. For example, in their drink.
DI Taylor added: “Spiking is an abhorrent crime and can have a significant, traumatic impact on victims.
“Spiking can happen to anyone, anywhere – no matter their age, gender, sexuality or ethnicity. It can be carried out by strangers or people you know.
“But it makes sense to place an extra focus on it at a time like freshers’ week.
“This is a time when a lot of young people are going out for the first time in a new place, are just settling into a new town or city and are maybe just being away from home for the first time in their lives.
“Cumbria is a safe place to live or attend university or college – and we have a much lower number of these types of spiking offences than many other places.
“But we do receive reports here – and are never complacent.
“Our main concern is to make sure any victim gets the support they need. Once the victim is well enough, we are here to support and investigate.
“One of the main points we would make to victims is: You are never to blame. This is never your fault.”
In Carlisle, police will be attending the freshers' fair at the University of Cumbria, providing guidance and advice to students.
Officers will also be out within the city centre patrolling at night and providing advice to businesses and those on a night out.
Other initiatives include police visiting a freshers' event at the university's Ambleside campus and work in Barrow, which will include holding a pop-up welfare hub.
Anti-spiking advice and products will also be given out in Barrow.
DI Taylor said: “Most cases of spiking don’t lead to sexual assault or theft.
“But spiking can cause severe distress, emotional harm and anxiety. It can take a long time to recover from someone spiking you.
“Victims can be male as well as female – but women are predominantly more likely to be targeted.
“Whatever the intention, the outcome is leaving women vulnerable and feeling unsafe.
“We therefore treat spiking with the same seriousness as other crimes relating to violence against women and girls.”
DI Taylor said the earlier people report offences such as this the better - because if the spiking was carried out with a drug, some drugs can leave the body within hours, so testing is better done sooner than later.
He added: “We would also like to know about any spiking incident, no matter how long ago it happened.
“Sometimes people are afraid to speak to the police, perhaps thinking no one will believe them.
“You can tell us about spiking even if you don't want to go through with forensic testing and an investigation.
“No matter who you are, how long ago the spiking happened or what took place, our prime concern is to give you the support you need.”
The University of Cumbria’s commitment to student safety and support is paramount. Its Head of Student Support, Gail Howes, said:
“At the University of Cumbria, our commitment to our student’s safety is at the forefront of everything we do to ensure they feel safe and secure during their time at university.
“This week we have welcomed new cohorts of students to our campuses in Carlisle, Ambleside, Barrow, Lancaster and London, in addition to off campus learners, and we have ensured that supportive information about the risk of spiking is part of the communications and information available to all students throughout their welcome and induction week.
“In Carlisle we have shared information about the WalkSafe app and we also look forward to welcoming colleagues from Cumbria Police to this year’s ‘Freshers Fair’.”
Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, said: “I’m pleased to see Cumbria Police working with key partners to raise awareness around spiking.
“I am particularly pleased to see that additional patrols will be in place on during freshers’ week to combat spiking.
“Cumbria is an incredibly safe county, you are probably safer here than almost anywhere else in the country and we want to reassure our new freshers and others enjoying a night out that prevention, education and help is there if they need it.
“I have two children, both at university, and it would bring me a great deal of comfort as a father knowing that the police are on hand to protect them in the first place and to help if something does go wrong. I am delighted that a proactive approach is being taken.
“To be clear though – whilst it is right and proper that the Constabulary and other key partners look to prevent, educate and help individuals, it is my clear view that spiking is an incredibly harmful, disgusting and particularly cowardly act. Anyone caught doing it in Cumbria will face the full consequences of their actions and the full weight of the criminal justice system.
“I would like to strongly encourage anyone that has experienced spiking to report it to the police on 101. It helps the police to gather information and to spot trends so that they can act where and when these crimes are taking place to take action to stop it and to locate any perpetrators of this crime – help us to protect you and the county.”
Cllr Justin McDermott, Cumberland Council’s portfolio holder for Public Health and Communities, said: “Addressing violence against women and girls is a really important part of our Community Safety strategy, and we are working tirelessly with the police and others to tackle it.
"Spiking is a horrible attack on the safety of those often just wishing to enjoy a night out with friends and there is no place for it in Cumberland. It is right that we do absolutely everything we can to prevent it and ensure perpetrators feel the full force of the law.
“We offer support year-round on Saturday Nights at our Welfare Hub adjacent to the train station in Carlisle. Partners including our safer streets officers, join forces with Cumbria Constabulary to deliver this service.
“If anyone thinks they, or someone else, has been a victim of spiking, staff there are trained to help. People can report spiking incidents there, seek medical help or simply seek a safe place."
Cllr Judith Derbyshire, Westmorland and Furness Council Cabinet member for Housing & Community Safety, said:
“Westmorland and Furness Community Safety Partnership has made preventing violence against women and girls a priority.
“We want to make our night-time economy a safe environment for people to socialise and initiatives such as Operation Regulate, the Pubwatch App and the Welfare Hub in Bowness involve working with licensees to ensure issues are dealt with quickly and the vulnerable are kept safe.
"Spiking drinks is very dangerous to victims’ health and brings with it the potential danger of assault. Everyone has the right to have an enjoyable and safe night out in Westmorland and Furness without having to worry about personal safety.
“If anyone thinks they, or someone else, has been a victim of spiking or, importantly, they have seen people spiking drinks, please report it to the police immediately so help can be provided and the perpetrators caught”.
WalkSafe
Partners are also encouraging people in Carlisle to download the free WalkSafe app available.
This helps those who live, work or visit the city plan their journeys home and nights out in the safest way, while letting their friends and family know where they are on an online map.
It features a map of the city that pinpoints local venues that provide enhanced safety features that may make people feel safer on a night out.
The app can also help people plot a safer route home.
Users can share their live location with trusted contacts and the app will notify friends and family when they get home safe.
It features an SOS button to alert trusted contacts immediately that you feel in danger.
It can be downloaded on the App Store or at Google Play.
What is spiking?
Spiking is giving someone else drugs or alcohol without their knowledge or permission.
For example:
- Drink spiking - adding drugs or alcohol to someone else's drink.
- Needle spiking - injecting drugs into someone else's body with a needle or auto-injector pen.
- Vape or cigarette spiking - giving someone drugs in a cigarette or e-cigarette.
- Food spiking - adding drugs to someone's food.
Giving someone more alcohol or drugs than they were expecting and had consented to is also spiking. For example, giving someone double shots instead of single ones.
It is sensible not to accept a drink from a stranger or leave your drink unattended. But sometimes people get spiked by people they know and trust too.
How to tell if someone has spiked you
It can be difficult to know if someone has spiked you.
The symptoms vary depending on what someone has spiked you with.
They can be similar to having excess alcohol.
If you start to feel strange or more drunk than you thought you should be, seek help straight away. If you feel seriously unwell, call 999 or ask someone to get you emergency medical assistance.
There is no right or wrong way to feel. Some victims need emergency medical assistance, others don't. Whatever your situation, the police are here for you.
Reporting attempted spiking
You can report attempted spiking to police, where a spiking attempt was disrupted before anyone became a victim. For example:
- If a drink has an unexpected smell, taste or colour.
- If you notice a tablet or powder in a drink.
- If you see someone trying to spike a drink.
- If someone tried to inject you with drugs but failed.
If you notice someone behaving suspiciously around a group they clearly don’t know, you can tell security or a member of staff, or report to police.
You can get more advice on spiking here: What is spiking? | Cumbria Police
Do you want to contact police?
Anyone with information can report online at: Report | Cumbria Police
You can also phone on 101.
You can also report spiking here: Report spiking | Cumbria Police
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.