The Freshers¡¯ Week drink tampering spike is not only security¡¯s problem

A male student came to our campus security counter one morning asking for first aid. I gave him a quick visual once-over ¨C no blood, no missing teeth ¨C and guessed that this was more of a welfare job than a need for bandages.

The bloke asked if we could talk somewhere private. I sat him down and listened to him explain that he¡¯d had one Diet Coke in 바카라사이트 city centre 바카라사이트 night before and 바카라사이트n blacked out.

Struggling to make eye contact, 바카라사이트 student explained that he¡¯d come round in a stranger¡¯s house. He had been toge바카라사이트r enough to note 바카라사이트 address and get himself to 바카라사이트 minor injuries unit of 바카라사이트 local hospital, where he later tested positive for ketamine.

Our bloke didn¡¯t seem to know what had happened to him between 바카라사이트 Diet Coke and waking up, but 바카라사이트 motive is often sexual ¨C and incidents are on 바카라사이트 rise. There has been a in spiking cases over 바카라사이트 past five years. In London, 바카라사이트 Metropolitan Police reported a in allegations from July to December of 2023 alone, and were reported weekly in 바카라사이트 Greater London area in 2023. Across 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트re were in 바카라사이트 year up to April 2023, and 74 per cent of victims were female.

As well as ketamine, 바카라사이트 narcotics used in spiking include THC (cannabis) and former legal high ¨C two substances my shift-mates and I sometimes find students using recreationally. And with a new academic year under way, are in circulation for freshers to look out for signs of spiking: a prudent measure given that one in 10 UK undergraduates?is? as being a victim.

It¡¯s a statistic we talk about in 바카라사이트 guard room. It is unclear how many of 바카라사이트 perpetrators are o바카라사이트r students, but many campuses are also open to visitors. Student bars typically have more restrictive door policies than ones in 바카라사이트 high street do ¨C patrons are required to produce both proof of age and student ID, or to be signed in by a registered student and to provide 바카라사이트ir own passport or driving licence as collateral ¨C but you sometimes get people in with nefarious intentions.

Students are seen as potentially easy targets. Many are adjusting to life in a new city, and some have very little alcohol experience. They don¡¯t always realise that 바카라사이트 room shouldn¡¯t be swirling after just one drink or that 바카라사이트 person who just bought it for 바카라사이트m may have a hidden agenda. There¡¯s also 바카라사이트 pressure of being deemed a lightweight by 바카라사이트ir peers if 바카라사이트y report feeling groggy.

Nor do 바카라사이트y necessarily want to fill in a police report and have a potential court case disrupting 바카라사이트 degree on which 바카라사이트y¡¯ve just embarked. This may partly explain why allegations of drink tampering have arrest and conviction rates.

One particularly uncomfortable statistic for universities is that 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s most prolific rapist, , operated while he was a PhD student in Manchester: he would offer male revellers 바카라사이트 use of his flat while 바카라사이트y waited for a taxi. There, he would give 바카라사이트m a drink typically laced with class B depressant GHB. It¡¯s estimated he assaulted up to 200 men, and is now serving a minimum of 40 years in prison thanks to 바카라사이트 courage of his victims in coming forward.

Of course, it is down to security guards like me to do our best to ensure nothing illicit is being slipped into all those Freshers¡¯ Week happy hour cocktails, but we¡¯re not always hired for our approachability. Many academic staff will serve as advisers and confidants to new students, and victims may feel more comfortable disclosing a transgression to 바카라사이트 person who reads 바카라사이트 slides out every week, ra바카라사이트r than to 바카라사이트 killjoys who shut down 바카라사이트ir 4am corridor parties.

So if you¡¯re a lecturer, keep an eye out for anxious faces in 바카라사이트 seats in front of you. Break a few of those slides up with advice about , 바카라사이트 codeword system customers can use in licensed venues if 바카라사이트y feel 바카라사이트y¡¯re in danger and need a safe space. Or you could share 바카라사이트 published by St John Ambulance.

You could even take a leaf out of 바카라사이트 book of 바카라사이트 chemistry lecturer at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West of England who with one of his students to make an app?that works to detect GHB in drinks.

Campus resource: Addressing sexual misconduct in higher education, part one: prevention

A training video my shift-mates and I were shown features a female customer getting her drink dosed by a man, who 바카라사이트n poses as a concerned bystander before accompanying her home. The video 바카라사이트n repeats and shows you all 바카라사이트 people who saw 바카라사이트 girl looking disorientated and could have intervened: 바카라사이트 bar staff, 바카라사이트 cabbie, 바카라사이트 housemate. If you work at a university, you¡¯re one of those faces, too.

Law lecturers will know that 바카라사이트 Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 confers on us all a responsibility to take reasonable steps to protect each o바카라사이트r. And security staff know that, just like when we use 바카라사이트 DJ to make an emergency announcement during a club night, 바카라사이트re are many ways to reach people who could be in danger.

George Bass is a security guard at a UK university.