Revellers in Gedling borough are being urged to stay safe while out drinking out over the festive period.
Nottinghamshire Police are reminding people heading out for a few drinks over the festive period to drink responsibly and also plan their journey home – using public transport or a taxi if you’ve had an alcoholic drink.
The Force are also asking people to take steps to ensure their drinks aren’t spiked.
Police are telling people not to leave their drink unattended – take it with you wherever you go.
They also say that if someone offers to buy you a festive drink, make sure you go to the bar with them and watch your drink the whole time and not to let them go to the bar on their own – although it might seem extreme, there are a lot of opportunities for someone to interfere with a drink whilst at the bar alone.
Police are also advising people to try to have drinks from bottles, as the necks make it difficult for someone to drop something in. You can also get ‘alcotops’ or ‘spikeys’ for bottles.
Also, If you’re unsure about your drink, don’t drink it and tell a friend or member of staff. Don’t leave it on the side – either take it back to the bar or pour it away yourself.
A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: “We’d love to not have to put this advice out but, unfortunately, there are some people who see your big night out as an opportunity for crime. With that in mind, please take care with your drink to ensure it’s not spiked.
“Also, look after each other and make sure you and your friends get home safely.”
Police advice on spiked drinks
What is used to spike a drink?
There are several methods used to spike a drink – the most common is adding alcohol to a non-alcoholic drink or adding extra to an alcoholic drink. However certain drugs can also be used – these are added to alcohol and act as a powerful sedative. They can cause the person to become ill, fall unconscious and, in extreme cases, it can even lead to death.
What are the signs?
Depending on whether a drug was used, the signs that someone has been ‘spiked’ can appear in as little as 15 minutes and can, potentially, last for several hours. A number of the symptoms are similar to the effects of alcohol and that make it difficult to know if someone has had their drink ‘spiked’ – however, the main difference is how severe the symptoms are. While alcohol can severely affect someone, it often takes numerous drinks before that occurs. Drugs, on the other hand, can start affecting someone within a few minutes.
If someone is displaying the below symptoms and you’re concerned about them, make sure you stay with them, get them any medical attention they need and ensure they get home safely.
There are a range of things to look out for, which include:
- Confusion
- Nausea or vomiting
- Hallucinations
- Disorientation
- Loss of ability to communicate properly
- Paranoia
- Poor coordination
- Unconsciousness
What should you do if you think your drink has been spiked?
- Tell the people you’re with and make sure you’re someone where you feel safe.
- Alert a member of staff at the pub or club you are at. We’re currently rolling out a training programme to all bar staff, venue staff, door staff and taxi marshals in the city centre, to help them recognise when someone is vulnerable and provide them with appropriate support. We’re also working with McDonalds to help train their teams as well
- If you feel unwell you should seek medical attention immediately and tell them that you believe your drink has been spiked.
- Report it to the police as soon as possible. Drugs can leave the body in as little as 12 hours after consumption so it’s important you get tested quickly. We know that your memory can be affected by some of the drugs used to spike drinks, but we’ll need as much detail as possible to help us investigate. That might involve asking you to try and remember some of the below details:
- Do you know who spiked your drink?
- If you don’t know who spiked your drink, do you remember what they looked like, or any other details about them?
- What happened throughout the evening, and after your drink was spiked?
- Was anything taken from you?
- Were you physically attacked?
How to protect your drink
- Never leave your drink unattended – take it with you wherever you go and, if the club doesn’t allow drinks on the dancefloor, take time to finish your drink before you hit the dancefloor, rather than leaving it on a table for later.
- If someone offers to buy you’re a drink, make sure you go to the bar with them and watch your drink the whole time. Don’t let them go to the bar on their own, as there are far too many opportunities for someone to interfere with your drink. Similarly, keep an eye out for people trying to distract you from your drink.
- Wherever possible, have drinks from bottles – the necks make it more difficult to drop something into the bottle and you can also get ‘alcotops’ or ‘spikeys’ to fit bottles and protect your drink
- Let someone know where you are going and what time they can expect you back – plan your route home in advance
- If you are unsure about your drink, don’t drink it and tell a friend or member of staff. Don’t leave it on the side – either take it back to the bar or pour it away yourself.
- Keep an eye on your friends and ensure you all get home safely
