A YORK mum has warned people to keep an eye on their drinks after she believes hers was spiked on a night out.

Mum-of-three Rachel Griffiths, from Acomb, said she had been on a night out with her brother, sister and her boyfriend, when her drink was spiked.

The 29-year-old said that while she was alert to what was happening around her, she was quickly aware something had been put in her drink.

She said: “I felt a bit strange and I knew it wasn’t the alcohol.

“The morning after I felt terrible, it was awful.

“I have always left my drink on the side and left it alone.

“I’m absolutely not going to do that again. My friend usually keeps an eye on my drink but she wasn’t there that night.”

She urged others not to make the same mistake: “You have to be careful and keep an eye on your drink.”

Miss Griffiths said she had been aware of a man who had kept asking her to go outside the club she was in but that she could not be sure when and where her drink was spiked.

She said while she considered going to the doctors the day after the incident she did not.

Last month, a report from front line volunteers suggested drink spiking with extra shots of alcohol or drugs appeared to be on the rise in York.

The report to the council warned that apparent drink spiking had meant a number of younger women were being abandoned in the street when people thought they were drunk.

The report was based on the perceptions of Street Angels, a Church-led initiative made up of volunteers who patrol the city streets into the early hours on Friday and Saturday nights caring for people in vulnerable situations.

However, North Yorkshire Police emphasised the information in the report was anecdotal and said “potential for exposure to harm faced by those who enjoy York’s night time economy remains one of the lowest for any city in the country”.


How to avoid drink spiking

If your drink has been spiked it’s unlikely that you will be able see, smell or taste any difference.

The following steps as suggested by the NHS may help prevent someone from spiking your drink:

• Never leave your drink unattended

• Don’t accept a drink from someone you don’t know

• Keep an eye on your friends’ drinks

• Stay away from situations that you don’t feel comfortable with

• Let someone know where you are and what time you expect to be home, especially if you’re going on a date with a stranger

• Don’t give out too much information to someone you’ve just met, such as your address

• It’s important to remember that if you’ve already been drinking, it may make you less aware of any danger.