Durham University called out over “#dontgetspiked” tweet

With the opening of bars and nightclubs in recent weeks there has been a stark rise in reports of spiking incidents.

Many people have been victim to drugs being put in their drinks. This is a tactic commonly used in incidents of sexual assault, and has often hid under radar by chalking it up to a person having “had too much to drink.”

However, recent events have seen a huge shift in where the blame should lie and how we should approach preventing these incidents, and supporting the victims.

The Durham University Student Wellbeing twitter account posted this statement:

“Drink spiking is dangerous and something that you can prevent from happening to you and your friends. #dontgetspiked Contact the police as soon as possible in a suspected case so an investigation can be conducted and others protect”

The tweet was accompanied by a graphic that read the same text.

The tweet received a lot of criticism and accusations of victim blaming. This important conversation comes after  with one user writing:

“How about change it to #dontspikedrinks?”

Following the backlash the account has deleted the tweets and has since issued a statement addressing the public reaction.

“We appreciate the feedback on our recent post about drink safety. Students have reported concerns to us about drink spiking on nights out. We take this very seriously, & work with the police & others on guidance to help people be safe & report incidents.

“We always aim to support our students and will take this opportunity to learn & improve our messages on this important topic. It is our duty to listen to you & address these difficult issues, including training staff and student reps on drug & alcohol awareness.”