Fears of possible drink spiking as students return to the University of Lincoln

Lincolnshire police have seen an increase in spiking

Drinks
Published 28th Sep 2022

As Freshers week gets underway Lincolnshire police are warning of the dangers of drink spiking after seeing an increase in such incidents in the last year.

The University of Lincoln has begun the new term with some students returning, whilst others start their studies for the first time.

Officers are also warning about the dangers of drinking too much which could lead to someone becoming more vulnerable.

We spoke to Superintendent Philip Baker from Lincolnshire police.

He said "All our officers are trained in what to do, to recognise the signs and symptoms, to work with East Midlands Ambulance Service, to work with the venues."

"For that those who feel they may have been spiked to get them that medical assistance as soon as possible."

He's also advising about the dangers of drinking too much which could put someone in a vulnerable position.

"We know a lot of students will "pre-load", that is they'll be drinking at home before they come into town due to the potential cost of drinking."

"We would ask you consider the impact of that and how much you are actually drinking because it's not measured how much you will drink at home."

He's warning of the dangers of suspiciously cheap alcohol.

"We do not know what's in there, what chemicals there could be, it could simply be meth alcohol which in itself can cause blindness."

"It can also cause very serious issues in the body."

"We would say whatever you do don't buy alcohol just because it's cheap."