Spiking amongst students

To support our work on alcohol and drug cultures amongst students, in November 2021 we investigated experiences of spiking alongside the desire for action from education institutions by students in the UK.

Just over 2700 students responded to the survey, and details of their characteristics can be found in this report.

Our key findings suggest:

• 14% of students know or think they have been given drugs through their drinks without their knowledge.
• Spiking has been reported in different locations - over a third of respondents know or think they have been spiked at a local nightclub.
• Over 70% of respondents who think or know they've been spiked did not report their experience(s) of spiking to anyone.
• 40% of respondents who know or think they've been spiked reported their experience of spiking, of which a quarter were supported to get home safely.
• Respondents would like students’ unions and universities to provide mental health support to victims of spiking.
• Respondents would like night time venues to have additional security measures to help prevent incidents of drink spiking.

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Download the final report for more detailed research findings and read our article about this research.

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