6
Drink spiking is illegal
Drink spiking is when a person deliberately adds alcohol or
another drug to a drink without the knowledge of the
person drinking it.
Alcohol is the most commonly used substance in drink spiking. Other drugs that may be used
in drink spiking include depressants, such as GHB and Rohypnol ®. These drugs can change a
person’s behaviour, causing anything from a loss of inhibition to a loss of consciousness.
Drinks are spiked for a number of reasons, such as amusement, or to facilitate sexual assault
or theft.
Most drink spiking incidents are considered to be ‘prank spiking’, with the motivation being fun
or amusement. This practice ignores the potentially serious physical and mental health risks
related to drink spiking.
Sexual assault is also linked with drink spiking. Estimates suggest that one-third of drink
spiking incidents are associated with a sexual attack.
A drink spiking scenario
Tony and Cassie are out on their first date at a new
nightclub in the city. Tony is drinking beer and Cassie
drinks rum and cola.
Tony is getting the drinks from the bar and, unknown to
Cassie, instead of ordering single shots of rum he is
ordering double shots. Even though Tony thinks his actions
are harmless and a bit of fun, he is in fact committing a
crime.
Drink spiking is illegal in all Australian states and
territories. Penalties include fines and imprisonment
ranging from two to 25 years.
Did you know1:
• 50% of drink spiking victims are under the age of 24 years
• 1 in 5 victims of drink spiking are male
Drink spiking is illegal
How to know if your drink has been spiked
If your drink has been spiked you may not be able to see, smell or taste it. The drug or extra
alcohol may be colourless, odourless and may not affect the taste of your drink.
Warning signs of drink spiking include:
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Feeling dizzy or faint
Feeling ill or sleepy
Feeling drunk even if you think you’ve only had a little alcohol to drink
Passing out
Waking up feeling confused, with memory blanks about the night before
What to do if your drink is spiked
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Ask someone you trust to help you get to a safe place.
If you feel unwell or have been sexually assaulted, go to the nearest hospital.
Ask your doctor to test for the presence of drugs in your body. Traces of certain drugs
can be picked up through urine or blood tests within 24 hours.
How to avoid drink spiking
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When out at a pub, club or party, watch your drinks.
Avoid sharing drinks.
Don’t accept drinks from people you don’t know well or don’t trust.
Buy or pour your own drinks – many people have their drinks spiked by someone they
know.
Keep an eye on your friends and their drinks.
For information about sexual assault, or for counselling or referral, call 1800 RESPECT (1800
737 732), Australia’s national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service.
Drink spiking is serious. In an emergency, telephone
triple zero (000) or the nearest police station.
Adapted from the DrugInfo fact sheet “Drink spiking” (2014, druginfo.adf.org.au/fact-sheets/drink-spiking).
1
Australian Institute of Criminology. (2004). National Project on Drink Spiking: Investigating the nature and extent of drink spiking in
Australia, Retrieved from:http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/7/8/D/%7b78D26268-98C6-4508-8A9A-AA6BD2E34108%7d2004-11drinkspiking.pdf
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ALCOHOL AND DRUGS
IN THE WORKPLACE
Updated 2 April 2014.
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© The Australian Drug Foundation, 2014. ABN 66 057 731 192.
Disclaimer: The Australian Drug Foundation has used its best endeavours to ensure that material contained in this publication
was correct at the time of printing. The Australian Drug Foundation gives no warranty and accepts no responsibility for the
accuracy or completeness of information and reserves the right to make changes without notice at its discretion.