JANE DUTTON EXPLAINS | Spiked: The hidden danger in your drink

Many years ago, while travelling alone through Italy, my drink was spiked.

The last thing I remember is the song The Final Countdown fading in and out of my consciousness. I woke up in a hotel room with a man I didn’t know. I don’t remember anything else.

Fast forward 20 to 30 years later, this is no longer a rare horror story. It’s rampant. It’s everywhere.

Perpetrators often operate in syndicates. They use spiking for rape, human trafficking and robbery.

It’s quick. It’s calculated. And it leaves almost no trace.

“At that point, I knew something wasn’t okay. So I kept my head down. Fortunately, I was leaning against the stage, so no one could really see that I was unsteady. It took about five to ten minutes for me to find my footing again.
When I looked at the drinks - the two glasses next to each other - one had bubbles. Those drinks never left my side.”

That’s Nicole.

On the night her drink was spiked, she was with DJ Warras, just months before he was shot and killed.

So who is behind it and why?

It often happens in nightlife settings - clubs and bars - where victims are identified from outside.

In some cases, especially involving women, victims are drugged and trafficked for sexual exploitation.

There are warning signs.

Sudden dizziness, blackouts, feeling far more intoxicated than expected.

“It happens in seconds and you won’t see it.”

Common substances include Rohypnol and ketamine, drugs that act quickly and leave victims vulnerable.

The psychological impact is severe.

Victims often experience anxiety, trauma and memory loss. There is also guilt and silence.

Many cases go unreported due to stigma. But responsibility doesn’t lie with victims alone.