Data from this  survey will be used to inform our campaign to make spiking a standalone criminal offence. 

Spiking ‘is when someone puts alcohol or drugs into another person’s drink or their body without their knowledge or consent’ (Rape Crisis, 2024). This can be via a drink, injection, cigarette, vape, drugs, and food.

Spiking can currently be prosecuted under a number of offences, primarily the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (used in cases where spiking facilitates sexual violence) and the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 (covers the administering of harmful substances).

This has resulted in a confusing and disempowering system for victims, and one in which reported cases are recorded under fragmented categories, distorting the full picture of spiking incidents.

Spiking must become a standalone criminal offence in order to empower victims, support staff in the night time economy, streamline reporting systems and assist the fair conviction of spiking perpetrators.