The HSE advises telling someone you trust straight away and asking them to stay with you. At a venue, staff or security can help. Injuries, suspected needle spiking or serious illness call for urgent medical attention. If your condition worsens, get help immediately.
Signs worth taking seriously
Gloucestershire Hospitals lists dizziness, confusion, difficulty walking, altered vision and memory gaps among possible signs. It also cautions that symptoms alone cannot establish the cause: they may overlap with the effects of alcohol, medicines or other substances.
If you are concerned about a drink, stop drinking it and seek support. The immediate priority is your wellbeing, rather than trying to identify a substance at the venue.
Support without judgement
The Metropolitan Police explains that choosing to drink alcohol, or knowing the person responsible, does not make spiking your fault. It is not limited to strangers or to one particular type of drug.
Supporting someone begins with taking their concern seriously. Prevention advice should never become a way of blaming an affected person for what they did, or did not, do.
Context matters
The main guide is for Ireland. Medical services and emergency numbers must be checked for the country you are in.
Reference resource: the original source date is preserved.
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