Tips and Advice Drug-Assisted Sexual Assault

There are a number of precautions you can adopt to reduce the risk of drug assisted sexual assault:

Plan your journey or night out.

Make sure that someone knows where you are going and what time you will be home.

Arrange your journey to and from home.

When going to a pub, club or party avoid going alone. Friends can watch out for each other.

Appoint a nominated drinks-watcher.

Remember, alcohol does affect your actions and your reactions as well as your ability to be alert.

Stay aware of what is going on around you and away from situations that you do not feel comfortable with.

Never leave a drink unattended.

Consider drinking out of bottles and keeping your thumb over the top.

If someone offers to buy you a drink go to the bar with them and when the drink is served pick it up yourself.

If you start to feel unwell immediately tell someone you trust.

Anyone who fears they may have been assaulted while under the influence of drugs should quickly report the matter to the police - it is the only way offenders can be caught and punished.

Further advice and information can be found on Project Sapphire’s website

New prevention devices to detect 'spiked drinks'

In general, the Government would urge people to exercise care with any product that claims to provide a complete solution to this problem, not least because of the reported widespread use of alcohol itself as a substance to facilitate the overpowering of a victim. Any device that provides only a partial screen will be a potentially dangerous false reassurance.

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