On 29 October, the local news outlet published a reminder attributed to Devon & Cornwall Police: tampering with a drink is not a joke, even when the person responsible is someone the recipient knows and the added substance is alcohol.
Consent matters with alcohol too
The force’s official guidance confirms that giving someone more alcohol than they expected and agreed to is also spiking. Its definition also covers drugs in drinks, food, cigarettes or vapes. Knowing and trusting someone does not make the act consensual.
Getting help and reporting what happened
Police provide an online reporting service and accept reports on someone else’s behalf. In their area, they advise calling 999 for emergencies and 101 for non-emergency matters. Older incidents can also be reported, even when some details are missing.
Context matters
The reminder is timely ahead of Halloween. This article focuses on consent and a supportive response, without making victims responsible for preventing an assault. It does not present the report as the launch of a new campaign.
The date refers to the linked original publication. This summary preserves the context at that date.
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