Drink spiking in Aotearoa is hard to detect, prosecute and track and while it's not new, it's happening and police have told Newshub it mostly occurs with a drug that's legal, alcohol.
The risks of drink spiking were highlighted recently when brothers Danny Jaz and Roberto Jaz, who worked at Mama Hooch in Christchurch, were convicted for drugging and sexually assaulting several young customers.
The Jaz brothers were convicted on a total of 69 sex crimes and drugging charges earlier in the year.
The case hurtled drink spiking into the spotlight. But while most people will think of drugs like GBL, GHB and Rohypnol when drink spiking is brought up, New Zealand Police have revealed a common and legal drug is often to blame.
Senior Sergeant Ian Paulin, who works in alcohol harm prevention, says alcohol is the most common way people have their drinks spiked.
Sergeant Paulin said drink spikers often add extra alcohol to drinks without their victims knowing, causing them to become drunker than they planned.
"That might be instead of a double nip of spirits, suddenly it's a quadruple, that is the most common way," Paulin revealed.
And there's a nefarious reason why alcohol is used the most - it's easier. Paulin explained it's harder for people to get their hands on illegal drugs and they run the risk of getting caught with them. But no one will think twice if someone has alcohol on them.
He said using illicit drugs to spike drinks is far less common and "very hard to detect".
But while it might be less common, it does happen. Newshub ventured to Wellington’s Courtenay Place on a busy Wednesday night to ask people about their experiences with drink spiking. For most, even if they hadn't had their drink spiked, they knew someone who had.
Lucy's* friend had their drink spiked and said it was a "pretty freaky" experience. It was so bad her friend no longer goes partying for fear of being spiked.
And even people who haven't had their drinks spiked, are worried about it. Katie* said even when she's drunk she "subconsciously" thinks about the risk of her drink being spiked.
She said she would never leave a drink unattended at a club and neither would her friend Josh*.
"If I ever need to put it down I always give it to a friend. I'm always like, 'Can you watch my drink?' And put it in their hand," he said.
That's the same approach almost everyone Newshub spoke to takes. It's "drinking 101," one woman said.
Lily* hasn't had her drink spiked, but knows of friends who have. She says it’s on her mind 24/7 when she goes out.
"You just can't trust strangers in town, it's quite sad if I'm honest with you."
She told Newshub she's changed the way she holds her drink, ensuring the top of her hand is covering her cup at all times.
"If I have a straw I make sure that my hand is over my drink and the straw is coming through my fingers, there is absolutely no way that I would have an open glass out in the open."
"Disgusting", "desperate" and "shit" are some of the words Wellingtonians used when describing the illegal act of spiking someone’s drink and the action itself continues to play on almost everyone's minds.
How common is drink spiking and what drugs are most commonly used?
The Drug Foundation works to educate, advise and stand up for healthy approaches to alcohol and other drugs.
Chief executive Sarah Helm said while drinks being spiked with illegal drugs is rare, it doesn't happen and when it does it's normally with GBL, GHB and Rohypnol.
GBL and GHB both have sedative effects. When consumed they can make people feel euphoric, sexually aroused, groggy and nauseous. They can also cause memory lapses, loss of motor control, dizziness, headaches, lowered body temperature and heart rate, diarrhea and difficulties urinating. Rohypnol, which is commonly known as roofies, is tasteless and odourless. When consumed it can cause someone to lose consciousness, suffer memory lapses and blackouts.
Helm said it's hard to get a true grasp on how common drinking spiking with these drugs is, because people tend not to report when it happens.
This was the case for the friend of one man Newshub spoke to about drink spiking. The man said his friend woke up in a bush with no clothes on and believed his drink was spiked. He didn't report it to police.
Even when victims do come forward, Helm said drugs like GBL, GHB and Rohypnol are hard to pick up, making it difficult to confirm whether someone had their drink spiked or not.
"One of the reasons is by the time the person has come forward, the body would have already processed it so it can be hard to detect in testing afterwards," she said.
Data released to Newshub in June from the country's sexual assault testing clinics revealed 12 percent of patients in the past year had been drugged before the assault.
"It's not normal to wake up and not know what's gone on the previous day from a couple of drinks"
Rape Prevention Education is tackling the issue of drink spiking in its new campaign 'Don't Guess the Yes'. The campaign is a joint project with the police and aims to highlight the importance of consent.
Executive director Debbi Tohill told Newshub the organisation wants to stop sexual violence before it happens.
"This [campaign] is one of the ways that we can be addressing issues of violence and sexual violence that may occur," Tohill said.
Advice to avoid drink spiking often revolves around ensuring you're getting your drinks from a trusted person, such as a bartender. And despite the Mama Hooch case, Tohill said it's rare for bartenders to spike drinks.
It's a view shared by the Restaurant Association's chief executive Marisa Bidois. Bidois said bars and restaurants have a responsibility to make sure their customers are safe, and the vast majority take this seriously.
She said many bars will have signs warning customers against leaving their drinks unattended and letting people know to tell staff if they feel unsafe.
Bidois said ultimately drink spiking is the fault of the offender alone. "In no way is the victim responsible for being spiked. It is ultimately the actions of the offender which should change".
And Wellingtonians Newshub spoke to agreed. Many were fed up with needing to be hyper-vigilant and had a stark message to the criminals spiking people's drinks.
"You shouldn't have to worry about losers spiking people's drinks," Katie said. "You need to get a life, you're so lame, it's yuck."
"F*** you, I don't feel safe because of you," said Lucy.
"Honestly f*** off. Just don't do it," said another woman.
Tohill sent a clear message too, which Senior Sergeant Paulin and Helm echoed.
"People can't consent if they are too drunk or under the influence of drugs. So that's the message for those people who are offending. They are committing a crime," Tohill said.
But it's clear that no message is going to stop some criminals from spiking drinks, Paulin said.
"There's always an alternative society that's going to break the rules, which is going to cause chaos. Nothing I say right here to them is going to stop them doing it."
He said there are some precautions people can take when going out to keep safe. One is making sure a night out is a "team game".
"It's a matter of having a plan before you leave. Keep going with a group and sticking with that group."
He said even the simplest things like ensuring your phone is charged before leaving home is important.
He added it is "not normal to wake up and not know what's gone on the previous day from a couple of drinks".
Paulin urged those who suspect their drinks have been spiked to notify police.
How to stay safe:
- Keep together
- Keep an eye on your drink at all times, from the moment you order it, to when you've finished it
- Don't trust a stranger
- Speak to bar staff if you feel unsafe
*Not their real names.
If you have witnessed or experienced sexual harassment or assault and would like to speak to someone, you could call the HELP support service.
Auckland: (09) 623 1700 or visit helpauckland.org.nz
- Wellington: (04) 801 6655 or visit wellingtonhelp.org.nz
