Ambulance service urges Christmas party goers to learn new ‘spiking first aid’

St John Ambulance is encouraging the public to familiarise themselves with "spiking first aid" in preparation for the festive season.

The organisation emphasised the importance of understanding what to do if someone falls victim to spiking - unknowingly consuming alcohol or drugs administered by another person.

Spiking can occur through drinks, needle injections, or even via vapes and cigarettes. Symptoms may include feeling excessively drunk or drowsy, mental confusion, slurred speech, memory loss, lowered inhibitions, nausea, vomiting, and breathing difficulties.

READ MORE: 'I lost nine stone and now I can't wait to get photographed at my wedding'

More severe symptoms could involve muscle spasms, seizures, unconsciousness, or an intense hangover after minimal alcohol consumption.

St John's new guidelines suggest keeping victims hydrated with small, frequent sips of water, ensuring they are safe and accompanied at all times.

If spiking is suspected, bar staff and police should be alerted, including any suspicious activity. If the victim becomes unresponsive, they should be placed in the recovery position and an ambulance called.

The public is also advised to learn CPR in case of respiratory failure.

A recent poll involving 2,000 UK participants for St John's new Switch on to Spiking campaign revealed that 23% of individuals aged between 18 and 43 believe they have "definitely" been spiked, with the figure rising to 41% when including those who thought they had "possibly" been spiked.

Dr Lynn Thomas, the organisation’s medical director, commented: "Our latest research shows this awful crime continues to blight people’s social lives when they are simply wanting to go out and enjoy time together.

"While we fully support all efforts to prevent and prosecute spiking incidents, St John aims to teach people how to care for one another when the worst happens. Recognising the symptoms of spiking is a critical first step in that care and will help protect victims from further harm.

"Staying with a spiking victim, monitoring them and being ready to give first aid could save their life. We’re urging people to equip themselves with that knowledge."

The public is encouraged to search for Switch on to Spiking online to learn more about the issue.

Last week, Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, advised on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that if someone suspects a person has been spiked, they should "just go up to a woman... and say ‘Is everything all right? '", where it is safe to intervene.

Labour has announced plans to make the act of giving someone alcohol or drugs without their consent a specific criminal offence.

Police statistics from last December show an average of 561 reports of spiking each month.

It's widely considered that incidents of spiking go largely unreported. Eve Adams, who was 19 at the time, experienced spiking first-hand when she visited a club in Chester with her twin sister, Lauren, and ended up in hospital.

"I felt like I had been hit by a bus. Every muscle in my body ached. It was so incredibly painful. I had brain fog," she recalled. "The headache lasted for weeks, like a never-ending hangover. I was still being sick three days later. I don’t know what happened that night. I question myself if I was just drunk, but I know deep down I wasn’t and everyone around me knows I wasn’t."