CLUBS NEED TO PREVENT SPIKING ON THEIR PREMISES

CLUBS NEED TO PREVENT SPIKING ON THEIR PREMISES

Started
27 October 2021
Petition to
Nightclub owners and manager
Signatures: 685Next Goal: 1,000
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Why this petition matters

Started by Aberdeen University Students' Association

CONTENT WARNING: This letter contains mentions of spiking and needles. 

Dear night club owners and managers, 

We are writing to you due to recent and ongoing incidents occurring all over the nation involving the spiking of drinks and more recently needle injections. We feel it is of utmost importance that actions are taken to ensure that students are safe at all times. We believe you have a huge role to play in keeping our community safe. 
There are several things we would like to ask you to put in place to make sure that your guests are safe and work towards eradicating spiking incidents. If you haven’t done so already, please consider implementing these. If your venue is already putting procedures in place, thank you!  

We are asking you to:  

  • Ensure that people who commit any sexual harassment or behave aggressively are banned from your premises 
  • Have Zero Tolerance policy against any type of abuse 
  • Have drink covers and/or other forms of anti-spiking measures available at all times 
  • Where possible have female door staff on shift 
  • Ensure your staff is trained on threat reporting and handling 
  • Have a safe space for your guests to seek shelter when required 
  • Ensure First Aider is clearly identifiable on site 
  • Ensure any CCTV you have us operational at all times  
  • Campaign on premises and social media which will talk about the consequences for the perpetrator, as well as support for victims e.g. similar to the Don't be that guy campaign 

There are various ways the above could be implemented.  We are asking you to consider: 

Serve drinks in fully-transparent cups, and have drink covers or protectors available at all times.  The lids make spiking much more difficult, and having transparent cups allows for people to see their drink and notice anything suspicious about it (cloudy/abnormal fizzing/something in it). Alternatively, it would be good if you could provide coasters such as SipSafe where a drop of alcohol can detect the presence of a substance in the drink.  
 
Please make sure your staff is trained on threat reporting (such as 'ask Angela') and that they are always on the look out for suspicious behaviour near bar and on the dance floor. They should be trained on how to respond appropriately. Based on feedback from students, we believe that having a female staff member or lead that is easily approachable (security, manager, first aider) on your premises will make students feel safer. 

If any spiking has occurred or you suspect it has, it is crucial to have the proper procedures in place. The perpetrator should be caught, reported to the police, and any evidence should be handed over to appropriate marshals. Please ensure that CCTV on your premises is always up to date and running to ensure that if the victim wishes to do so, they can prosecute. To ensure that the spiked individual is treated appropriately and is kept safe, you should follow the proper procedure and provide any help needed. This involves having trained first aider who is clearly identifiable. We are aware of some venues having a 'safe room' where the victim can stay, away from the danger in question. In addition, we would like to ask you to ensure you always provide your guests with water on request to keep them safe.  
 
Finally, we encourage you to review your policies on Zero tolerance. Ensure that your premises have clearly displayed signs which state the legal repercussions of spiking individuals. Please make sure that your guests know where to seek help when needed. 
 
Thank you for considering our requests.  We look forward to hearing from you and would love to meet with you to discuss. 
 
Sincerely,  
Ivana Drdáková 
AUSA Vice President for Welfare 
 

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Signatures: 685Next Goal: 1,000
Support now
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Decision-Makers

  • Nightclub owners and manager