A petition demanding mandatory searches at nightclubs has over 130,000 signatures amid rising cases of needle spiking at nightclubs in the UK. Another petition, which had over 8,000 signatures, calls for free drink spiking test kits to be made available at all bars. Such kits would allow those who suspect someone may have interfered with their drink to get an instant result and react accordingly.
A 19-year-old university student who was recently a victim of spiking woke up in Nottinghamshire, UK. She spotted a prick mark on her legs after she woke up in the morning post partying late at night at a club. She then went to a hospital. While the girl was reportedly wearing jeans and allegedly got spiked by a needle, Prof Adam Winstock from the Global Drugs Survey told BBC, "The idea these things can be randomly given through clothes in a club is just not that likely."
Meanwhile, Nottinghamshire Police is investigating 15 reports of spiking where victims claim to have been injected with a needle. While the first case of spiking occurred around 2 October, 32 reports of people drinking spiked drinks emerged in September. Most of these victims are young women and students. Nottinghamshire police arrested two men of age 18 and 19 who have been released under investigation. However, this suspected offence did not involve a needle. Cases of needle spiking have also emerged in Hull, Sussex, Norfolk, Devon, York and Cornwall.
Home Secretary Priti Patel has asked forces across the country to update her on the status of the scale of this issue.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said, “The Mayor is clear that any attack on a woman is totally unacceptable – women must be safe, and feel safe, when out at any time of day or night. Sadiq would encourage anyone to report this crime to the police, who will thoroughly investigate.
“London’s clubs and venues work hard to be safe and welcoming places, and City Hall has been working alongside the capital’s night-time industries and the police, to introduce training across hundreds of venues so that staff are able to sensitively handle any reports of sexual harassment. In addition, City Hall has secured pledges from more than 600 organisations – venues, operators, charities, councils and businesses across London – to support the Mayor’s Women’s Night Safety Charter, which aims to improve women’s safety at night by improving staff training AND encouraging the reporting of harassment.
Report and Support system for victims of spiking
University of Westminster Students’ Union (UWSU) and the University of Westminster are appalled by reports that instances of spiking are happening anywhere, especially targeting students. They accepted that neither awareness nor intervention from intended victims can change the underlying issue of violent and degrading intentions from the perpetrator.
In an official statement, UWSU and the University of Westminster said, “We want to be explicitly clear that spiking is illegal, and anyone alleged to be a perpetrator will be reported to the police. If the alleged perpetrator is a student at the University of Westminster, they will additionally be: Referred to the University’s Student Disciplinary Regulations for investigation and possible disciplinary action; Subject to the above procedures and UWSU Code of Conduct, will incur a life-ban from all UWSU activities.
The university has a Report and Support system for present and past victims spiking which will guide them to access information and guidance from trained professionals who can advise on next steps and support on offer to escalate this, should they wish to, and access help and advice. In solidarity with the national Night In campaign, the University has cancelled the Dragon’s Takeover and Karaoke night which was due to be held at Hideaway on Wednesday 27 October.
The world is unsafe for women
Dr Vijaya Priyadarshini told Asian Voice, “Covid-19, the name that initially felt like any other seasonal flu turned into a nightmare soon enough. It all transpired in a blink of an eye, leaving us stranded, clueless, lonely and without any socialising. No socialising, no clubbing, no partying meant like a sudden jolt. But in June this year when things reopened, it felt like resurrection from the dark world.
“But was it?” she argued.
“A gap of good 16 months has had other implications which are difficult to explain. The world has only become more unsafe for women. I go out with a set of trusted people, no new gangs and random hangouts because of the fear of being around unknown people. It’s like a principle for me that post 10 pm I would always take a cab back home and share the ride details with my family. At the end of the day, we need to adapt to the change! It’s difficult but I guess this is the new normal where we must cover our faces and take adequate precautions!” Dr Vijaya said.
Every year, thousands of international students come to the UK to study at prestigious universities. However, with the glory of studying at a UK university, comes newfound freedom and liberty for young adults to evolve as persons. Students are known to socialise and participate in gatherings, parties and events to network, and build an emotional and social support system for themselves while they’re in the UK.
In the last 20 months, most had to remain locked inside their halls of residence or rented accommodation. While UK university accommodations do not have a curfew time for students to return (unlike Asia), it is worth listening to stories of students who either came to the UK during the pandemic to study or were already here.
Period of self-reflection
Bhavna Ravindran, a Covid survivor and a student at a London University said, “For an extroverted person like me, this was the period of self-reflection between the four walls.” Calling herself a “social butterfly” who was losing its purpose, Bhavna added, “Fast forward to 2 years now, I am at an elevated state of happiness with a selective and smaller circle of people who I engage with personally. My social life is at its best after the emotional turmoil I had during Covid.”
Reacting to news of spiking at nightclubs, Bhavna said, “Honestly, with the rising cases of needle spiking, it sounds very unsafe for girls to move out to party. For all I know is safety is in our own hands, parties can be side-lined. I would surely prefer staying indoors with people who I know very closely or going out with them and being super watchful of the choice of restaurants. The latter surely being an option to an unavoidable circumstance only.
When it comes to house parties, I will also ensure the liquor is purchased by someone within the group and not have anyone else being a mediator as I'm guessing there'll be groups trying to sell stuff illegally for cheaper rates.”
“While I wasn't aware of this, I am now going to make my peer friends (both guys and girls) so that everyone remains informed and stays safe,” she added.
Virtual parties during lockdown
Prachi Dang calls herself a typical Bollywood girl from a small town with a zeal to learn and thrive on experiences. Coming to London for a master’s was a dream come true for Dang. Within six months of her arrival in London, a national lockdown was announced. Describing how she celebrated her birthday alone; she told the newsweekly that the NISAU team organised a video call for her birthday celebration with banners in the background.
“I learnt yoga, attended Netflix parties, knocked down many friends in Ludo and that too all sitting at home. With all the chaos, this pandemic does come with a silver lining. While I stay away from home, miles away in a foreign land, I am grateful I found my home away from home. Now I have friends with whom I attend yoga classes early morning, play PubG in the evening, and talk for hours before I go to bed over a zoom call. Perhaps, slowly I have adjusted to the Covid era and is resilient to challenges,” Prachi told Asian Voice.
Girls Night In
A boycott of nightclubs in over 30 UK towns and cities took place in the last week of October to raise awareness for spiking, which is being touted as an ‘epidemic’ by activists. The nationwide movement, Girls Night In, began following several reports of women being injected with needles while on nights out in recent weeks. Police across the country are investigating reports of students being spiked with needles in nightclubs. Reports have been recorded in Nottinghamshire, West Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Dundee, and Glasgow. Boycotts are organised across major cities in the UK next week, including London, Nottingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Belfast.
A Lancashire based nightclub called Sugarhouse has reportedly said, "Instead of opening (in the last week of October), we will run a training session for bar staff and security staff reinforcing the safety elements we have in place, and how to deal with any suspected cases of spiking."
Among many UK universities, the University of Liverpool Men’s FC joined the movement and said, “UoL Men’s football is supporting the Girls Night in Boycott. This involves boycotting all UK nightclubs in place to ensure the spiking outbreak is taken seriously by UK clubs. We want everybody to feel safe when they go out to clubs and other events.”
What do to in case you’re spiked?
Clinical Technology Lead at Lloyds Pharmacy Online Doctor, Dr Sameer Sanghvi said in an online statement: "If you've been spiked via injection, it's crucial that you seek medical advice as soon as possible. We'd recommend you attend a sexual health clinic or A&E within 24 hours of the event, so you can be fully assessed and considered for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) medicine, which may help prevent you from becoming infected with HIV. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) should be started within 72 hours of coming into contact with the virus for it to be effective."
