Spiking
Those who spike others do so to control the person, most often to sexually exploit them.
The most common form of spiking is when drugs are added to a drink without the owner's knowledge. Sometimes it is the form of o forced intake, with the intention to make them unconscious. Recently needle spiking has been growing.
This kind of action is physical abuse and is always the perpetrator's responsibility.
Symptoms of spiking
We should always be aware of someone around us being in such a critical condition that they can't take care of themselves. For example, if someone:
- seems disoriented and does not know how they got there.
- mumbles or cannot communicate clearly.
- shows a sudden change in consciousness.
- is unconscious.
- cannot move their limbs or their whole body.
If you see someone in this condition it is important to get the person to a safer place or to see trained medical staff if needed. You might need to perform CPR if you can.
Because the symptoms are similar to alcoholic consumption, people don't always know they've been spiked. This could include:
- the person does not know how they got there.
- has no memory of what happened.
- takes days to recover physically.
If there is the slightest suspicion of being spiked, it is important to tell somebody and seek help right away. In case of severe symptoms, seek medical help immediately.
In order to understand whether someone is being spiked, the police need to start investigating. Chemicals have a way of flushing rather quickly through the body - therefore it can be very important to analyze blood samples as quickly as possible.
