A Troubling Spike in Spiking

Jordan makes note of the rise of spiking throughout Scotland and what’s being done about it.

After a relaxing Independent Learning Week a few weeks ago, crowds of students have geared up to reunite with friends under the strobing lights of 601, ushering in the season of All Souls. Yet, according to recent reports, ghosts and ghouls are not the scariest things wandering the streets of St. Andrews.

Police Scotland are currently investigating a number of claims from individuals who were spiked on nights out, many through injections. The reports come from across many of Scotland’s major cities and towns, yet the police have not found any connection between these cases. The rise in drink-spiking has caught the attention of Scotland’s Home Secretary, Priti Patel, who is urging the police force for updates on their investigations.

A handful of women spending a night out have reported losing track of time and waking up feeling abnormally unwell. These reactions left many women bedridden and immobile for days, the symptoms going well beyond the signs of the common hangover. Yet, what is even more alarming is the discovery of “small puncture wounds” on arms and legs following the incidents.

Source: Unsplash

Scottish nightclubs now face boycotts over the news of drink-spiking via injections. The “Girls’ Night In” campaign was launched by a University of Edinburgh student to raise awareness for the rise in drink-spiking in the UK. The campaign organized a boycott of all major party venues and clubs on Thursday, October 28. “Girls’ Night In” hoped to pressure nightclubs to take the issue seriously and install safety measures and guidelines to inhibit any further drink-spiking attempts.

The national trend has not escaped St. Andrews, where many are attempting to install further safety measures in campus bars and clubs. The Students’ Association has announced that additional training on spiking will be given to their Customer Safety Team who will be performing random bag searches from now on. The Union will also be introducing methods to test unattended drinks. Furthermore, the Students Association highlighted their support of the St. Andrews’ Feminist Society’s and Got Consent’s joint “Big Night In” event. Like the “Girls’ Night In” campaign, “Big Night In” boycotted all party venues on Wednesday, October 27. The town hall took place at the Students’ Association followed by a sit-in in 601. The list of demands urges all pubs, bars, and clubs throughout St. Andrew to increase security and prevention, and provide further training for their staff members. The boycott also demanded a new “zero-tolerance policy” (one in which is already in place at the Union), entailing those caught and proven to have spiked to be banned from the venue. The list continues to ask that if the events in which a spiking case occurs are put on by a Society, then this will warrant a referral of the person caught spiking to the society and university, as well as a ban.

Source: Unsplash

According to Assistant Chief Constable Judi Heaton of Police Scotland, cases in spiking take a “notable increase in October and November.” Whatever comes from these new initiatives aiming to end these attempts to make women feel vulnerable and violated, it is especially clear that within these coming months, girls’ carefree nights out will be a little less “carefree.” Vigilance is now and has always been, as common a component in a women’s company as her phone or wallet. Many are left fearful and frustrated wondering when exactly “a fun night out” will not involve watching one’s drink or signs of a needle in the lowlights of a crowded bar.

Comments

comments

57 thoughts on “A Troubling Spike in Spiking

  1. I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you create this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz reply as I’m looking to create my own blog and would like to know where u got this from. thank you

  2. I?m not sure where you are getting your info, but great topic. I needs to spend some time learning much more or understanding more. Thanks for excellent info I was looking for this information for my mission.

  3. Pingback: joker gaming
  4. It is indeed my belief that mesothelioma will be the most dangerous cancer. It contains unusual characteristics. The more I really look at it the more I am persuaded it does not work like a real solid flesh cancer. In the event that mesothelioma is actually a rogue virus-like infection, then there is the chance of developing a vaccine plus offering vaccination to asbestos uncovered people who are at high risk with developing long term asbestos linked malignancies. Thanks for giving your ideas on this important health issue.

  5. One thing I’d really like to say is that often before buying more personal computer memory, look at the machine within which it is installed. If your machine is running Windows XP, for instance, the memory limit is 3.25GB. Adding more than this would simply constitute a new waste. Make sure one’s mother board can handle your upgrade amount, as well. Good blog post.

  6. Useful information. Fortunate me I found your web site unintentionally, and I am stunned why this coincidence did not took place in advance! I bookmarked it.

  7. I am so happy to read this. This is the kind of manual that needs to be given and not the accidental misinformation that’s at the other blogs. Appreciate your sharing this greatest doc.

  8. Hey! I know this is kind of off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could locate a captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having problems finding one? Thanks a lot!

  9. An interesting discussion is definitely worth comment. I do think that you should write more on this subject, it might not be a taboo matter but generally people do not talk about these issues. To the next! Cheers!

  10. Just want to say your article is as astonishing. The clarity for your post is just spectacular and i could assume you’re an expert on this subject. Fine along with your permission allow me to take hold of your RSS feed to stay up to date with drawing close post. Thank you a million and please continue the rewarding work.

  11. Hi my loved one! I want to say that this article is amazing, nice written and include approximately all significant infos. I?¦d like to look extra posts like this .

  12. I have been browsing online greater than 3 hours today, but I never discovered any fascinating article like yours. It?s beautiful price enough for me. In my view, if all webmasters and bloggers made excellent content material as you did, the internet will likely be a lot more useful than ever before.

  13. I would also love to add that when you do not surely have an insurance policy or maybe you do not participate in any group insurance, you might well really benefit from seeking assistance from a health insurance agent. Self-employed or those that have medical conditions generally seek the help of a health insurance broker. Thanks for your post.

  14. Thanks for sharing your ideas. I might also like to state that video games have been at any time evolving. Better technology and inventions have aided create realistic and interactive games. Most of these entertainment video games were not actually sensible when the concept was being tried. Just like other designs of know-how, video games also have had to progress by means of many many years. This itself is testimony to the fast development of video games.

  15. Wow, wonderful blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you made blogging look easy. The overall look of your web site is wonderful, let alone the content!

  16. Hi, I do think this is an excellent website. I stumbledupon it 😉 I am going to return once again since i have saved as a favorite it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to help other people.

  17. Hello there! This blog post could not be written much better! Going through this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He always kept preaching about this. I am going to send this information to him. Pretty sure he’s going to have a very good read. I appreciate you for sharing!

  18. Having read this I thought it was really enlightening. I appreciate you taking the time and energy to put this short article together. I once again find myself personally spending way too much time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worth it.

  19. Howdy, I do believe your web site might be having internet browser compatibility problems. When I take a look at your blog in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in I.E., it’s got some overlapping issues. I just wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Other than that, excellent website.

  20. Excellent site you have here.. It’s hard to find high quality writing like yours these days. I truly appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!

  21. Spot on with this write-up, I actually feel this site needs a lot more attention. I’ll probably be back again to read more, thanks for the advice!

  22. An outstanding share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a coworker who has been conducting a little research on this. And he actually ordered me dinner simply because I discovered it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending time to discuss this topic here on your blog.

  23. You can definitely see your enthusiasm in the work you write. The world hopes for even more passionate writers like you who aren’t afraid to say how they believe. Always follow your heart.

  24. I was very pleased to uncover this web site. I wanted to thank you for ones time due to this wonderful read!! I definitely loved every little bit of it and I have you book marked to see new stuff on your website.

  25. Can I simply just say what a comfort to find an individual who actually knows what they’re talking about on the net. You definitely understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More people ought to read this and understand this side of your story. It’s surprising you aren’t more popular because you surely have the gift.

  26. It’s nearly impossible to find knowledgeable people for this subject, however, you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks

  27. Thank you for this article. I’d also like to talk about the fact that it can possibly be hard when you find yourself in school and starting out to establish a long credit ranking. There are many individuals who are simply just trying to make it through and have a good or favourable credit history is often a difficult issue to have.

  28. You made some good points there. I checked on the net for additional information about the issue and found most individuals will go along with your views on this website.

  29. The very next time I read a blog, I hope that it does not fail me as much as this one. After all, I know it was my choice to read, however I actually believed you’d have something helpful to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something you could possibly fix if you weren’t too busy looking for attention.

  30. I’m amazed by the quality of this content! The author has undoubtedly put a huge amount of effort into researching and arranging the information. It’s refreshing to come across an article that not only provides valuable information but also keeps the readers captivated from start to finish. Kudos to him for creating such a remarkable piece!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

THE STAND