University freshers handed drink spiking warning as students urged to 'act quickly'

University freshers handed drink spiking warning as students urged to 'act quickly' Drink spiking warnings have been handed down to students ahead of the new term, with millions of people set to enter settings where they could potentially be left vulnerable University freshers have been handed a drink spiking warning ahead of the new term as thousands of people start their degrees without critical knowledge of the risks they face. More than two million people are expected to enter undergraduate courses in the UK this year following one of the country's most successful ever A-level results days, with a bump in the number of pupils achieving A* and A grades. As they become freshers, many of those millions of students will be swept up in their institution's party scenes, which some will be experiencing for the first time after turning the legal drinking age. The situation will mean many are left uniquely vulnerable to the efforts of would-be drink spiking, with campaigners warning that unscrupulous people could try to take advantage of them. Spike Aware UK has launched an awareness and education campaign ahead of the new university year directed at students who may be targeted after they start university. Colin Mackie, the organisation's chair, has explained that as they start a "big adventure", students will be "a bit more vulnerable to people trying to take advantage of them". Among the areas campaigners are hoping to educate young people on are the circumstances of spiking, which can be broader than some might expect. Mr Mackie explained: “Spiking is administering a drug to somebody without their consent. Some of the common ways it can be done is through alcohol, needles and vapes. Spiking can also be done through food, and there are other ways of administering the drugs as well.” Once the drug is administered, it can affect victims extremely fast, even when people have "only just started drinking", Mr Mackie added, leaving them "feeling dizzy or sleepy", possibly rendering them aggressive or even producing hallucinations. According to the NHS, the symptoms of spiking can vary widely, and usually depend on the dose people have been given. They may include: - Sudden intoxication - Dizziness - Tiredness - Difficulty in walking or moving - Nausea (feeling sick) or vomiting (being sick) - Hallucinations (seeing things which are not there) - Visual problems like blurred vision - Paranoia - Confusion, especially the next day or after waking up - Amnesia (loss of memory) especially about things that have happened recently He added: “People often think that spiking victims are drunk because the symptoms are very similar, and that’s what causes a lot of confusion.” Anyone who does find themselves with a spiking victim, the experts recommend, should ensure that they stay with them, and "immediately get medical help" if their condition deteriorates. Drink spiking can be fatal if the victim is left unattended, especially so if they are already taking medication of some kind, which can have "disastrous consequences". Mr Mackie said: “The victim could also be allergic to certain compounds, such as penicillin, too which can also be life-threatening.” Mr Mackie founded Spike Aware UK following the death of his son, Greg, a university student at the University of Edinburgh following a spiking incident. Greg was just 18 when he was found unresponsive at his student accommodation in 2017, and it was later discovered that he had the equivalent of five ecstasy tablets in his bloodstream. Data from spiking charity Drinkaware's 2025 Monitor, which surveyed more than 7,000 adults in the UK aged between 18 and 85, shows that the issue remains a major one. Around 2 percent - 1.8 percent- of the respondents, the equivalent of nearly one million people, said they had been a victim of spiking in the last year. The vast majority of those impacted were young people aged 18 to 34, among whom the percentage increases by more than a percent to 3 percent. Mr Mackie urged people to take the following precautions when going for a night out at university: - Stay vigilant - Make sure that you see your drink being poured and are wary of any strangers offering to buy you a drink - Get a drink covering - Walking through crowds with your drink uncovered makes you more vulnerable - Don’t leave your drink unattended - If you need to go to the toilet, make sure someone who you trust stays at the table - Soft drinks are also at risk - It’s important to remember that every drink, soft or not, can be spiked - Men can be spiked too - A lot of young men seem to think that spiking only happens to girls, but it can happen to anybody, anywhere at any time - Call it out - If you hear a friend joking about spiking or about to do it, call them out there and then. If you see it happening and you’re at a venue and you don’t know them, let a steward or a member of the bar staff know