Imogen Nation-Dixon

Spiking, specifically drink spiking, has been on the rise for years. Growing up, it was  an accepted norm – an acknowledged risk which we were all trained in minimising. As such, everyone carried their own, self-written rule book in order to protect themselves from consuming a toxic, harming substance.  

– Cover your drink  

– Watch as it gets poured  

– If you leave your drink, buy a new one  

etc  

etc  

etc  

The list goes on and on and on and on, with every single person consciously acknowledging  the fact that their drink may be tampered with, and will have sought to eliminate any possible risks through controlling every variable.  

This is a depressing, accepted truth.  

This by no means implies that the victim is ever to be blamed for having their drink spiked. One can be careful, aware and do ‘everything right’ – but sadly some disgusting individuals find a way to manipulate situations for their own sick advantage.  

In 2019, the BBC recorded a record rise in recorded cases of drink spiking, with more than  2600 reported incidents in England and Wales since 2015. This doesn’t even scratch the  surface of the full scale of the problem; some STATs show that in many cases less than 50%  of spiking incidents are reported to the police and followed up by a blood test within the  narrow time frame.  

The problem is growing, and is worse than we think.  

More gross individuals are hopping on the bandwagon to gain a perverted sense of control  over others in a selfish, sick, pursuit.  

Why is drink spiking so accepted ? Why isn’t more being done?  

The rise in drink spiking is frightening for everyone. No-one knows who is next; yourself,  your brother, sister, cousin, father, mother …no-one is immune. As a result, we all carry our self-written rule book with a bit more vigilance. It has now become our guidebook for safety. A map integral in the navigation of, a fun, crazy, weird, spontaneous, drunk, messy, pizza @ 4, tequila fuelled confessions of love, some hangxiety, inevitable broken promises of  ‘grabbing a coffee’, night out.  

BUT safe.  

We always want to be safe. 

Which is why when the reports of needle spiking first began to surface in Nottingham and subsequently nationwide, I was scared. Our rule-book, our guide-book for safety, our map  for navigating a fun night out, did not account for this. Being injected (literally ‘spiked’) from behind is dystopian. As a club-goer you are completely and utterly powerless. 

You can seek to give yourself more rules.

– Wear a leather jacket
– Wear a roll neck
– Wear a thermal to give yourself an extra layer of skin
– Dance with your back flat against the wall
– Wear padded trousers
– If you have one, wear a stab proof vest. If not, I’m sure Amazon Prime will get one to you in time for Wednesday
– Borrow an aluminium armour from the drama costume department

Doing this will ensure that you have done all you can to
Have
A
Fun
Night out :))

This is ridiculous.

@ Babylon in Durham, yes I have had some fun nights in your club. But your music is not worth getting into an armour for.

No club or party is worth it.

The onus should not fall on us. We want real, positive change.

I recently made a post on Instagram campaigning for a #weeklongboycott of clubs. I do not think one singular night will make enough of an impact to force clubs to properly change. ‘One night in’ might force clubs to make performative changes – but I strongly believe that for real, concrete change, clubs need to be shaken and stirred.

Enough is enough.

At the end of the day, it is down to us students to campaign for the change we want to see. Durham’s leading sports clubs and societies have expressed their support of a longer boycott to force change, and the post campaigning for a week-long boycott has reached thousands of students nationwide. We are making a difference. Every conversation, every person who boycotts clubs, is bringing us closer to what we all deserve:
safety.
to club or not to club: it’s not really a question.