Content warning: This story mentions sexual assault and may be distressing to some readers.

All names have been changed for privacy reasons.

Nicole was in a nightclub with a friend in South Australia.

Tess was at a wedding in Queensland.

Simone was in a corporate lounge in New South Wales.

All three began feeling unwell, ended up in hospital and later discovered their drinks had been spiked.

Drink spiking remains an ongoing issue that continues to happen in venues across the country.

In New South Wales reports of drink spiking hit a five-year high last year.

According to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, police recorded 219 cases of drink or food spiking in the state in 2022, up from 154 cases in 2021.

To shine a light on drink spiking,Mamamiaspoke to 50 people who had their drink spiked to find out how easily it can happen and what needs to change to prevent it.

What is drink spiking and how common is it?

Drink spiking occurs when drugs are slipped into someone's drink without their knowledge. Despite what many people might believe, the most common drug used is alcohol.

This could look like "adding alcohol to a non-alcoholic drink or adding extra alcohol to an already alcoholic drink", Dr Nicole Lee, a professor at the National Drug Research Institute toldMamamia.

"Most drink spiking is actually friends pranking each other. They might add an extra shot of alcohol to see their mates get drunk quicker. In a smaller number of cases drink spiking is intended to harm someone, like for sexual assault or theft."

Other drugs used in drink spiking include depressants or sedatives like ketamine, Rohypnol, and gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB).

"These drugs are colourless and don't have a strong taste or odour, so are easily concealed," says Lee.

"They make you feel relaxed at lower doses but at higher doses make you feel very sleepy and can sometimes cause unconsciousness, blackouts, and loss of memory. Sometimes people find it hard to move or speak."

As for how common drink spiking is in Australia, the data remains limited.

"We don't really know because most of it goes unreported… A research study a few years ago estimated a few thousand cases a year across Australia," says Lee.

WhenMamamiasurveyed 50 people who had their drink spiked in Australia, only 24 per cent had reported it to police or a medical professional.

28 per cent of respondents also said they had been spiked on more than one occasion and 92 per cent of respondents said they knew of at least one other person who has had their drink spiked.

The reality of drink spiking in Australia.

Of the 50 peopleMamamiasurveyed, 30 per cent of respondents had their drink spiked in the last five years, with half of the respondents spiked between the ages of 18-21.

However, drink spiking can happen to people of all ages and gender.

According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, one-third of drink spiking incidents can also lead to sexual assault.

"We receive a steady number of calls related to drug or substance facilitated assault," Tara Hunter, Director of Clinical and Client Services at Full Stop Australia, a national domestic violence and sexual assault counselling hotline, toldMamamia.

"It occurs in public settings but can also occur in private homes/parties and can be facilitated by friends and acquaintances."

Here are just a few stories that highlight the reality of drink spiking in Australia.

'I have brief flashes, feeling lost, holding on to a fence. The next day, the bruises started to appear.' Jessica, drink spiked in SA.

"It was Christmas Eve at my hometown bar. It was a tradition to go for a drink and catch up with everyone who lives away… After ordering a glass of wine for me and my friend, I consumed that drink and have no further memory until the very early hours of Christmas Day. I have brief flashes, feeling lost, holding on to a fence (which happened to be barbed wire, I just couldn’t feel it at the time), feeling the most intoxicated I had ever been, and a feeling of determination to get home. I apparently waved down a car on a remote country road and was nearly hit, thankfully it was a local who drove me home.

"I start to remember at the point of getting home, I crawled to the bathroom and got into the shower… My sister and mum helped get me into bed and were furious at me for being so drunk on Christmas Eve. It wasn’t until just before lunch that some people came around to return my phone that I realised I was missing it…. Then the bruises started to appear, finger marks over my arms, scratches on my body and bruises on my torso and neck. Together, my family and I pieced together that I must have had my drink spiked. It was terrifying as I only remember locals at the pub and the fear stopped my socialising for a very long time. I couldn’t trust anyone while out, so I just abstained."

'A bouncer found me slumped over in a corner.' Emma, drink spiked in NSW.

"I was at [a club] with a group of friends. We were having a good night and I bumped into a guy that I knew. It’s very patchy. I remember sitting down talking to him and then I woke up in the hospital. Apparently, a bouncer found me slumped over in a corner, with my mate nowhere to be found. I went to message him a few days later to find out what happened and he had blocked my number and all of his social media accounts. I ran into him a few years later and he turned around and bolted."

'The bartender put ketamine in my drink.' Kirsten, drink spiked in Vic.

"I was [out] for my uncle's 60th. The bartender put ketamine in my drink and I didn’t know. I felt unwell and went to the bathroom. I fell on the floor in the cubicle and couldn't get up. My legs wouldn’t work and I couldn’t speak as coherently as usual. Someone came in and then went and got my mum, [who] took me home. [It was] lucky I went to the bathroom and not outside to get air as the bartender was waiting, lurking, outside for me. The next day I went to the doctor and they ran some blood tests. There was ketamine in my system and I've never taken drugs in my life. It was so scary and the thought of what could have happened haunts me."

'There was a black Texta mark on my shoulder. Doctors believe whoever spiked my drink used it to identify who they targeted.' Nicole, drink spiked in SA.

"It was around 10pm and I went and got myself and a girlfriend a drink [at a nightclub]. After that I don't remember much but I ended up collapsing inside the nightclub and the security basically dumped my body in a side alleyway. My friends rang an ambulance and I ended up spending a few days there. There was a black Texta mark left on my shoulder and the doctors believe it was marked by who ever spiked my drink to identify who they had targeted later in the evening. The same thing happened to me at the same club about 12-18 months later. I ended up in hospital and this time, I had violent outbursts. It is all still so vague to me but has significantly impacted me ever since."

'I was talking to a guy at the pub and then woke up in his bed.' Sarah, drink spiked in WA.

"[It] was in a small county town [and I was] a teacher. I woke up with no clothes on [and] no memory of what happened. I was 27. I was at the pub with friends, taking to this guy and then woke up in his bed. Sex, he told me happened. I told no one as I couldn’t comprehend how it happened. I also felt ashamed, I wish I had taken it further and still think about taking action… I feel so mad when I think about [how] he got away with it!"

'I was at a wedding and quickly became unresponsive.' Stephanie, drink spiked in Vic.

"I was at a wedding with my now ex-husband… He had gone to have a group photo taken. It was warm inside and he left while I went outside into the garden with two male acquaintances I'd met at our table but felt totally comfortable with. It wasn’t a large wedding and I wasn’t at all drunk. The photos took far longer than expected and at some point I excused myself to use the bathroom. I’m guessing that was when my drink was spiked. Very soon after speeches started, my ex-husband came to collect me and things went down quickly. Luckily my ex-husband recognised very quickly that I was not okay and was quickly becoming unresponsive."

'I was in a corporate lounge in 2023. I did not think this happened anymore.' Simone, drink spiked in NSW.

"I was in a premium corporate lounge in 2023 in my thirties. Some other patrons invited me to sit with them and got my wine from the open bar. I have zero recollection from 3pm to 10pm when I woke up in the hospital. Thankfully, my partner noticed this wasn’t too many drinks, this was something completely different. He called an ambulance when I was unresponsive and convulsing. I woke up with the most horrid bitter taste in my mouth. It was truly jarring and I did not think this happened anymore, let alone in such a grown-up exclusive environment, I guess that’s easy prey when you feel safe.

'I was on a uni cruise and believe it was likely the bartender.' Jessie, drink spiked in Vic.

"I was on a uni cruise and thankfully surrounded by many friends. I believe it was likely the bartender, I only had one drink which never left my side and his behaviour before and after (recalled by my friends) pointed to him. I only remember the beginning of the night (boarding the uni cruise, chatting and getting that first drink) the next thing I [knew] I was in the bathroom at home and calling my boyfriend not remembering a thing, [and] texting my friends madly. Thankfully, they had realised something was up and took care of me all night, then got me home safely once we docked."

'I locked myself in a bathroom and was there until I came to.' Tess, drink spiked in Qld.

"I was at a wedding at a venue. I don’t remember much, I locked myself in a bathroom and was there until I came too enough to get out of the venue. Passed out again on the street and was taken to the hospital in an ambulance."

'I remember waking up in a strange room.' Nikki, drink spiked in NSW and Qld.

"The first time was at a nightclub in Brisbane. My friend and I both had our drinks spiked and completely blacked out. I remember being carried out of the venue by two security guards as I couldn’t use my legs. I blacked out, then came to getting out of a stranger's car at a friend's house. The second time was at a bar in Sydney. I was dancing on the dance floor and the next thing I remember is waking up in a strange room being raped. I blacked out again then woke up in the morning and left. I still have no idea who he was or what happened."

'After two drinks I was incredibly sick.' Kelly, drink spiked in NSW.

"I was at a BBQ with friends, [and] friends of a friend were also invited. These men were horrible to most of the girls there, including their own girlfriends. After two drinks, I was incredibly sick and felt like I’d had two bottles of wine. Another girl had the same experience. She was raped. I got off luckily and still feel guilty to this day."

'I found out it was the bartender who had spiked our drinks.' Lillian, drink spiked in Vic.

"My drink tasted odd but my friend and I had the same drink and they tasted the same…. They had both been spiked. I felt dizzy, lightheaded, really drunk, with really fast blurry vision and decreased inhibitions. We knew it was spiked as it was only our second drink of the night. Luckily we were with male friends and they took us home. I don’t remember much at all after leaving the pub. [I] found out it was the bartender who had spiked them."

'I woke up the next morning when the club was empty and it was broad daylight.' Laura, drink spiked in NSW.

"I was out with a friend and bumped into my boyfriend at the time in a club in Sydney. I had had two drinks all night and started to feel unwell so I excused myself and went to the bathroom. All I remember is barely being able to lock the cubicle door. I didn't wake up until the morning, eight hours later, when the club was empty and it was broad daylight. My friend that I was out with had assumed I'd gone home with my boyfriend... and my boyfriend assumed I had continued on with my friend. No one came to look for me."

"When I woke I had no phone or wallet and walked to the nearby police station at Darling Harbour as was suggested by the cleaner in the club. When I got inside the police station, the policeman wasn't very interested in helping me. He said I could use the phone but I was unable to remember my home landline or even my street address. I had lived there for almost 10 years. I was so affected by whatever I had been drugged with that I was suffering very real and very scary memory loss. The policeman told me there was nothing else he could do. I stumbled out cold and confused and ended up getting in a cab to a friend's house as I could remember where she lived by direction but not address and asked her to pay the fare when I got there. I was unwell for at least 48 hours afterwards."

"The chef offered to buy my friend and I a drink.' Amy, drink spiked in NSW.

"I was at the local pub and I had two glasses of wine. The chef from the pub offered to buy myself and my friend a drink – we accepted, then we [didn't] feel right. [We were] very drunk despite not having too much to drink. We left quickly and I couldn’t stop vomiting. She ran home and I can't remember getting home."

'I had no control over my body.... It was the most degrading feeling.' Lauren, drink spiked in Qld.

"I was at a piano bar on the Gold Coast celebrating my mum's friend's 50th birthday. I had two drinks and was lining up for the toilets and started spinning and my body went numb. Luckily, the woman in front of me recognised I was in trouble and lead me to a cubicle. I started vomiting and couldn’t keep my head up. I was thinking relatively ok but I had no control over my body. I ended up in the hospital where I was told I had my drink spiked. It was the most degrading feeling, and I knew st