Seven in 10 young adults affected by drink spiking, according to new research

No doubt many of you have a personal story when it comes to drink spiking, whether it’s terrifyingly happened to you or someone close to you has been a victim.

However, despite the prevalence of spiking, many people do not end up reporting such incidents to the police.

A new report from LADbible Group and Stamp Out Spiking found that 70 percent of 18-24-year-olds in the UK have either experienced or witnessed drink spiking, with over half of females (51 percent) and 69 percent of LGBTQ+ individuals affected.

Despite how many people have been impacted by the cruel crime, a staggering 87 percent of victims said they did not report what happened to them to the police.

Such incidents were found to be severely underreported for a number of reasons, including insufficient evidence (48 percent), believing it was too late to report after the incident (38 percent) and concerns about no action being taken (27 percent).

Markus Spiske/Pixabay

The research - which was commissioned by LADbible Group and saw 2,063 individuals aged 18-44 were surveyed - also revealed that 82% of victims would be more likely to report incidents to the police if spiking were explicitly illegal, amid calls to make it clearer that spiking is a crime.

In fact, 86 percent did not know there was not a specific law to convict against spiking, while less than a third were aware of the government’s proposed amendments to the criminal justice bill in a move to modernise spiking laws and make it clear it is a crime.

Six in 10 respondents advocated for enhanced training for venue staff, and greater education regarding spiking awareness, with just 10 percent of victims receiving supportive assistance from venue staff and 65 percent saying they felt uncertain about the appropriate course of action upon realising spiking had occurred.

Dawn Dines, CEO and founder of Stamp Out Spiking, said: "We firmly believe key safeguarding education is urgently needed to ensure the safety of partygoers across the UK.

“The numbers speak for themselves, with 60% of young adults supporting our mission, advocating for advanced training for venue staff and greater education regarding spiking awareness.”

Stamp Out Spiking

Emily Driscoll, Head of Data, Intelligence & Planning at LADbible Group, added: "The results of this research highlight the urgent need for greater education, awareness, and action to address the concerning prevalence of drink spiking, especially amongst Gen Z.

“As a business, we are committed to using the scale and reach of our platforms, which reaches nearly six in ten 18–24-year-olds in the UK, to raise awareness and advocate for change to ensure the safety and well-being among young adults.”