No Evidence of Needle Spiking in Scotland, Police Says

Scotland Police found no evidence of nightclub spiking by injection to back up a surge in reports. In the past year, nearly 150 individuals claimed they were drugged with needles in nightclubs. 

Spiking complaints in Scotland registered a steep rise during last year’s freshers’ season, with almost 60 reports made in the first week of November. People took to social media to share their experiences, many reporting “blacking out” and waking up with injection-like marks. 

According to an FOI (Freedom of Information) request by STV News, in November 2021, there were 51 reported spikings by injection in Scotland – an abrupt rise compared to previous years. 

In October last year and October this year, 31.3%  of spiking victims – equal to around 149 individuals – suspected they had been drugged by injection.

Police chiefs called for an urgent assessment to tackle the rising wave of drugging incidents – but were told at a Scottish Police Authority (SPA) meeting that there had been no proven “needle spiking” cases in the past 12 months. 

A report presented at the SPA committee revealed that there are currently no physical witnesses of a needle-spiking case in Scotland. It further added that last year’s spiking reports were significantly lower than September 2022’s records.

The SPA report said only four spiking cases resulted in someone being charged.