Today we held the first of our weekly meetings in which we discuss the current situation around spiking.

These meetings are an opportunity to share feedback from students and to liaise with our Part-Time Officer team to find constructive solutions to the issue of spiking in order to reassure and support our student body.

Within the SU, the whole Sabbatical Officer team, the Director of Student Experience and the Venue Manager held a meeting with Devon and Cornwall Police and Best Bar None Plymouth. Importantly, this meeting was also attended by the President and Manager from Plymouth College of Arts’ Students’ Union. This is important as we believe that students from across the city should feel safe on a night out.

From this meeting, we heard that Devon and Cornwall Police are leading on a drink testing scheme, from which the SU is given testing kits for drink spiking.

This comes from all Best Bar None member venues, of which the SU is a member of, being offered test kits. If one of these tests are found to be positive, officers are alerted and attend the incident, with a rapid urine test. These tests need to be done within 48 hours of a potential incident to be valid. If there is a positive test, the individual will be offered medical assistance. If the test is negative, the individual will be supported to ensure that they are safe, and able to make it home okay.

Following the recent increase in reports of spiking both in Plymouth and nationwide, we know that there will be many of you who will feel nervous about heading out this weekend and to nightclubs in particular.

Further to our statement released yesterday, we’ve made some changes to the way our venue will operate and so things may look a bit different if you join us in the SU this weekend.

Read the full article here

As a Students’ Union we are receiving an increase in reports about spiking in the nightclubs around Plymouth. Students should be able to go out drinking and enjoy their night without fear for their safety.

It is illegal to spike someone’s drink and the maximum sentence for someone found guilty of spiking is 10 years in prison. If a person is caught spiking someone's drink in the SU they will be banned from our venue, and it will be reported to both the Police and the University of Plymouth Code of Conduct Team.

If you have been affected by spiking, either directly or indirectly, you are not alone and there is support available to you. Please read our full statement below to find out more.

Read the full statement here

There is rising national attention to spiking following an increase in reports of incidents across the country in Nottingham and East Midlands in particular.

As a Sabbatical Officer team we are hearing more reports from concerned students around the issue of drink spiking as well as spiking by injection or 'needle spiking'. Our priority as a team, and for the Students' Union as a whole, is the safety and wellbeing of our members. This morning we held an urgent meeting with rest of the UPSU Senior Leadership Team to discuss spiking as well as looking closely at the safety measures we already have in our venue as well as what we can do to support our students further.

We'll be sharing more information as soon as possible.