Warning predators are spiking vapes as 'more than 100' drugs used in people's drinks
11 May 2024, 08:07
Police investigating the growing spiking epidemic have warned vapes containing cannabis and spice are being given to unknowing users, as more than 100 different types of drug are being put in people's drinks.
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LBC spoke to those on the frontline of tackling the terrifying crime, who say spiking is now "more complex than ever" with a "whole range" of substances being detected.
Officers say the 'date rape' drug Rohypnol, which was used in almost all cases in the 90's, has now "left the market" and instead is seemingly replaced with any substance perpetrators can get their hands on, including cocktails of prescription drugs.
And they're now warning of a new phenomenon of e-cigarettes being spiked, with predators posing as friendly partygoers giving them to people without telling them what's really in it.
Dean Ames, who oversees drug testing for the Metropolitan Police, warned inhaling a drug through a vape "can immediately impact somebody".
"People might be expecting to use a vape containing nicotine, but in the last year or two years, a range of vapes have entered the market containing THC - which is the active constituent of cannabis," he told LBC.
"More recently, we've also seen something known as spice which is a synthetic cannabinoid - it's a very powerful drug. Because it's inhaled the effects of the drug can be quicker.
"It's a different form of spiking. We'd classify it as that - if someone has been given a vape expecting it to be a normal nicotine vape, and they have been given a drug, they have been spiked," Mr Ames said.
Read more: Vaping causes substantial increase in the risk of heart failure, study finds
When asked if spiking is now more dangerous than ever, Mr Ames replied: "Yes - it has become a more complex environment, so the risk and dangers have increased."
It's as the Metropolitan Police urged clubbers and pub-goers to look out for the signs of spiking, saying victims are still reluctant to report the crime.
Detective Chief Superintendent Angela Craggs told LBC: "That causes us problems in terms of identifying perpetrators. We want to empower victims to report earlier so we can look at opportunities to test for any drugs that have been used, and arrest perpetrators in their tracks."
Ms Craggs revealed 114 spiking allegations per month are received in the capital, with 65% of offences occurring at night. 60% of victims are female, the force said, with burglaries and robberies a more common motivating factor than sexual assault.
Officers warned of "no one size fits all" approach to tackling spiking, saying it can happen "from a small gastro pub up to Glastonbury".
Ms Craggs reassured partygoers they would not be punished for taking recreational drugs of their own accord, suggesting it has been preventing some from coming forward to report spiking.
She told LBC: "What we're interested in is stopping predators, we're not interested in following up enquiries where people have used drugs recreationally. Our focus is on the predators that are administering these substances."
The message was echoed by toxicology lead Dean Ames, who said: "We’re not interested in falling out with anyone who’s had a controlled drug, but they need to declare as much as possible to us, so we can understand if they’ve been spiked. Please provide that declaration, they will face no comeback on that."
The Met said staff at more than 850 venues have now been trained to spot predatory behaviour and know what to do if customers tell them they've been spiked.
