New Legislation Aims to Crack Down on Spiking: A Step Forward or Not Enough?
In a significant move to address the growing concern around spiking, the government has introduced a new offence under the Policing Crime Bill, aiming to make it easier to prosecute those who administer harmful substances without consent. While this step signals progress, questions remain about whether it will be enough to tackle the root causes of this crime.
The new offence replaces outdated provisions in the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, streamlining existing laws into a single offence that criminalises the administration of harmful substances, including drink and needle spiking. Under this change, offenders can now be prosecuted whether their intent was to injure, aggrieve, or simply annoy their victim.
This legislative update comes in response to mounting public pressure and a surge in reported spiking cases. In the past year alone, police received 6,732 reports of spiking, including nearly 1,000 cases of needle spiking. Yet, with no reliable national data on spiking prosecutions, campaigners argue that the scale of the problem may be far greater than current figures suggest.
Will the New Law Increase Prosecutions?
Despite the legal shift, one of the biggest challenges remains: prosecution rates for spiking offences are notoriously low. Victims often struggle to provide evidence due to the rapid breakdown of substances in the body, and identifying perpetrators can be difficult.
The government hopes that the introduction of new police subcodes for recording spiking offences—set to roll out in spring 2025—will improve data collection and inform more effective enforcement strategies. However, some campaigners worry that, without a parallel increase in resources for police and forensic testing, the new law may not have the impact that victims and advocacy groups hope for.
More Than Just a Legal Fix
While legislation is an essential tool in the fight against spiking, experts emphasize the need for a broader approach. Increased awareness, better venue training, and improved support for victims must go hand in hand with legal reforms. Many argue that the government should also focus on proactive measures, such as funding forensic testing in hospitals and ensuring drink safety initiatives are widely available in nightlife settings.
As the bill progresses, the question remains: will this new offence mark a turning point in tackling spiking, or is it merely a legal tweak that fails to address the deeper systemic issues? One thing is clear—more needs to be done to protect people from this insidious crime and bring perpetrators to justice.
For more information on how to stay safe and what to do if you or someone you know has been spiked, check out our Spiking Awareness Guide.