During February this year the local Community Drug Action Teams in Griffith, Wagga Wagga and Albury hosted an event on drink spiking awareness with guest speaker Sarah Williams from sexual assault advocacy group What Were You Wearing.
Drink spiking is when someone deliberately adds alcohol or other drugs to another person’s drink, without their knowledge. Approximately one in three spiking incidents end in sexual assault.
The workshops aimed to provide education on drink spiking in a bid to prevent the crime that often flies under the radar.
Sarah talked about what symptoms to look out for and what to do if you think you or a friend have been spiked. The more people understand the risks and symptoms of drink spiking, the more we can all take action to keep ourselves and our friends safe.
In 2023 What Were You Wearing successfully advocated for drink spiking education to be included in Responsible Service of Alcohol training so that all venues and people who serve alcohol understand and can help prevent spiking.
CDAT Community Development Officer Louise Graham said, “It is every venue’s responsibility to put up signage, educate their staff and show that duty of care.”
It’s hoped that awareness workshops like these can help keep communities safe.