Finally: The government has launched an inquiry into drink spiking

The UK Parliament Home Affairs Committee has launched an inquiry into drink spiking.

The inquiry is looking into the prevalence of spiking and how effective the police’s response to it is.

It will look at both alcohol and drugs being put into people’s drinks without their knowledge or consent, but also acknowledges the new recent reports of people being spiked by injection.

The inquiry is to get a better understanding of the forms that spiking can take – as well as how often it happens, and the impact it has on victims.

“It will also look at the response of the police and partner organisations, such as night-time industries, universities and third sector organisations, in the prevention and detection of spiking,” the UK Parliament website says.

It will examine what support victims can access in terms of reporting incidents and getting treatment after reporting.

According to the Committee, 1 in 9 women and 1 in 17 men in the UK say they have been the victim of drink spiking, and one in three women and one in five men knew someone who had been a victim of drink spiking. A recent survey run by The Tab found that at least 2,600 students and young people believe they have been spiked since the start of this university year.

Launching the inquiry, Acting Chair of the Home Affairs Committee Tim Loughton MP said: “Spiking is a particularly pernicious act. It is specifically intended to make victims vulnerable and leave them unaware of what is happening to them. It relies on deception, with victims only realising what has happened later and left doubting themselves due to the uncertainty that being spiked causes.

“At present, the prevalence of spiking is poorly understood. That is why as part of this inquiry we have launched a survey to hear directly from victims about what happened to them and how they were supported. We also want to hear from those who have witnessed spiking incidents and have experience in supporting victims so we can understand their perspectives.

“We want to understand what more can be done to stamp this out, but also how victims can be better supported in reporting these incidents and dealing with the long-term consequences on them. We also want to see how police can work with partners in the entertainment sector and other areas to identify more effectively when such incidents take place.”

The Home Affairs Committee is running a public survey as well as welcoming submissions of evidence – you can find out what it’s looking for and more information here.