Did you know you can be spiked with a vape?
Be Spike Aware with us and enjoy Freshers to the fullest. Whether you drink alcohol or enjoy a night out with a soft drink, this is a must-read. We met with Mandy and Colin Mackie from Spike Aware to help you stay safe and make the most of your student life. Their campaign began after they lost their 18-year-old son, Greg Mackie, to spiking. Greg was in his first year of a media course at Edinburgh College when he was found after someone had put the equivalent of five ecstasy tablets into his drink. His death led Mandy and Colin to set up Spike Aware in 2017, with the aim of making sure other families and young people have the support and information they need. Now, eight years on, they continue to campaign for greater awareness, better protection and changes to the law.
We asked Mandy and Colin the questions every student should know the answers to.
What exactly is spiking?
Spiking is much bigger than what people realise. It’s a heck of a lot bigger than what people realise. It’s become a tool to take advantage of people, to steal from people. But there’s also the nasty side of it, which is prank spiking, where people are doing it because they can. They think it’s funny. They want to video it. They never consider: Is that person on any medication? What effect is it going to have? Are they allergic to anything before they drop something into their drink or add something to their vape? They don’t consider it.
Who can be spiked?
Our youngest victim is 11 years old, and the oldest one is 82. It can happen to anybody of any age, and it can happen anywhere. There’s a media-driven idea that it only happens to teenage girls in nightclubs. A lot of males are spiked as well, and we’ve seen that growing.
There will always be people who are targeted for spiking, where somebody wants to take advantage of someone either sexually or for theft. But quite often it’s not targeted. Especially with prank spiking, people are just adding the drug to anybody’s drink. They don’t necessarily know whose drink they’ve put the drug into.
Can my drink be spiked if it’s not alcoholic?
Soft drinks can be spiked. Any drink can be spiked. Vapes can be spiked as well. We’ve recently had reports of another youngster whose vape had been spiked. He was encouraged to smoke this vape and did it, and the mouthpiece had been spiked, so he ended up having to get taken to hospital and checked out. It’s not just about somebody putting something into an alcoholic drink.
How can I avoid being spiked?
Make sure you have your drink covered. That’s one of the most important things. Even a simple thing like a beer mat is a deterrent to a spiker. If there are lids available, once you’ve bought your drink, cover it at the bar. Quite often, it’s when you’re returning to your seat that you can be more vulnerable, especially if you’re in a busy nightclub and you’re trying to manoeuvre yourself around people who are dancing or talking.
As you’re trying to pay attention and walk through a crowd, you’re looking in front of you but you’re moving your hands left and right, trying to make sure you’re not spilling your drinks. You’re making yourself vulnerable because you’re not necessarily watching what’s happening with your drinks.
Be wary of someone who seems to be hanging around the table who is not part of your group. Ask yourself: why are they hanging around? Is there any specific reason they’re there?
Is it safe to accept a drink from someone? Yes, it is a good way to break the ice to offer to buy someone a drink. But again, be very aware. Do you want this person to buy you a drink? Are you on your own? In which case, you should certainly be more aware of someone buying a drink because it could be added then.
We had one victim who was offered a drink and had already made it quite clear to the guy that she didn’t want a drink from him. He was persistent, and she kept saying no. He went to the bar and came back with the drink that she liked to have. She admitted to herself that she knew something wasn’t right, but she thought, “There’s a free drink there, I’m going to have my free drink, and then I’m getting out of here.”
She drank it, left the venue and then blacked out. Luckily, a dog walker found her after she’d fallen through a hedge. It was a winter’s night, and she was lucky that somebody saw her.
How do I know if I’ve been spiked?
If you’re with friends and you suddenly start to feel funny and you know you’ve only had one or two drinks, let them know immediately. Say to your friend, “I’m feeling strange, this isn’t right.” You start to feel sleepy. It is difficult for people to identify the difference between spiking and someone who’s drunk, so the main thing is being aware of what that person has had to drink. If the person has only had one or two drinks, or not even any alcoholic drinks, be aware of that.
They could also hallucinate. There have been incidents where people have become aggressive. It’s rare, but it has happened. They become out of character. So, what they’re doing is acting out of character.
What should I do if I think my friend has been spiked?
Monitor that friend. Stay with that friend. Immediately get a steward involved, if you have stewards, or get bar staff involved. Get help as quickly as possible. If they’re deteriorating, immediately get the emergency services involved.
You’ve got to be strong enough to say to stewards that the person has only had one or two drinks, even if you’ve been somewhere else before it, or they’ve only taken a puff on a vape. Make the staff aware, and strongly make the staff aware, that they’ve got a duty of care to this person and not to put them out of the building. That’s the last thing you want.
If that does happen, when you and the victim are put out of the building, stay with them. Be wary of strangers coming up and suddenly offering to help, because that could be the spiker. Don’t let anybody take them away from the group. Don’t let somebody say, “Just put them in my car, I’ll take them to hospital,” and take them away from their friends.
What role can friends play?
Friends are the main thing. Look after each other. Make sure you’re always keeping an eye on each other and be aware of what’s going on around you. Be aware of your surroundings. Who’s around? Why are they there? What are they doing? Why are they hanging about? Always just be aware.
What should I do if I see someone spiking a drink?
Call it out. I’d love to see students get involved in calling out if they see it. If it’s someone you know, say, “No. If you’re going to do that, you’re not going to be part of our group. We don’t want you to be part of it, and we’re going to report it.” People at events like colleges and universities don’t want to be alienated. If they’re going to do something where everyone’s going to turn against them, they won’t do it. They’ll change their whole attitude. But even if you say to who you think is the victim, “I think something’s been put in that drink,” just try to get them to stop taking the drink or point it out to a steward. Don’t confront the spiker yourself, because you don’t want to take any risks.
Why is it important to report spiking?
It’s important to report it to the police because even the police realise they’re not getting the true figures. It’s only by getting the true figures that they’ll be able to take more and more action. As people start to report it and prosecutions start to happen, they realise there are consequences. That’s the biggest thing we need to see. We need to see the attitude change where they realise, yes, this is an offence, this is a crime.
What should someone do if they decide to report it?
If you do report it, stand your ground. Make sure you get a crime number. Give it a couple of weeks and then get in touch with the police again and ask for an update. Make sure they’re aware that you’re not going away. Keep in touch with them. Ask them what they’re doing and how it’s proceeding. If they’ve taken a toxicology report, that can take longer. But make sure that the police are aware that you’re not just going to accept it and go away.
What support can Spike Aware offer?
If it’s on the night, there’s very little we can do on the night. Friends can call us for advice, but we’re always going to recommend emergency services. The most important thing is, on the night, to get help there and then. After the event, we can talk to people. Quite often we’ll get parents contacting us, asking what the next procedures are, how do we report, etc. If somebody just wants someone to talk through it with them and go through the procedures with them, that’s fine as well. They’re quite welcome to just lean on us as a support group, and they can call us back as many times as they like.
Hi, I am Julia Braun Raven, an award-winning student journalist, having been named Arts Writer of the Year at the Herald Student Press Awards 2026. Following this achievement, I am continuing to develop my journalistic skills and contribute to The Herald’s arts and culture section under the mentorship of Arts Correspondent Brian Ferguson.
I am a third-year Journalism, Media & Communication and English & Creative Writing student. I was re-elected as Editor-in-Chief of the Strathclyde Telegraph for 2026/27. Alongside preparing for the new academic year, I am delighted to continue working with the team to create a student newspaper that reflects student life on campus, while also covering the wider issues shaping the world around us.
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