Safe Night Out

Solent Students’ Union and University of Southampton Students' Union recognise that its students can be victims of incidents that are no fault of their own, such as drink spiking. The safeguarding of students both on-campus and in the community is something that the Students’ Unions place high priority on.

In response to this risk, we have created a pledge, that we encourage venues serving drinks and alcohol to sign. By signing this pledge, the organisation below certifies to Solent Students’ Union and University of Southampton Students' Union, their intentions to work towards decreasing the risk of spiking situations. In addition to this, the organisation agrees to follow the guidelines outlined in the agreement.

READ THE PLEDGE

The easiest way to define drink spiking is adding something into another person's drink without their knowledge or consent. It is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, if prosecuted.

This could be legal or illegal drugs, the most common of which are GHB, MDMA, Ketamine, and Rohypnol. Drink spiking also includes putting alcohol or additional alcohol into someone's drink, which may or may not have malicious intentions.

Most people know what is normal for them when drinking and what their personal limits are. If your experience changes with no warning, then trust your gut and ask bar staff or security for assistance. The only way to know if you have been spiked for sure is via a blood test at your local hospital, where they can also administer medication to counteract any substances in your system.

When you report a crime, there is never a guarantee of convicting the person responsible. The sooner you report it, the easier it will be for Police to begin investigating and get you the support that you need. Funding for Police Services varies depending on the need of individual areas, increased reports of drink spiking shows a greater need for resources and will lead to long-term funding. While it may not have an impact on the here and now, it may prevent others from being in a similar situation.