THE GOOD LIFE: Beware of injection spiking

Columnist Gemma Good talks about the reopening of nightclubs

Nightclubs have been open for nearly two weeks now and probably just about every student in the country has been out to celebrate. The excitement has been palpable – lashing on buckets of tan, shopping for an outfit to wear, plastering on make-up, eyelashes, the whole works. My personal favourite (not) is the absolute panic to remember everything when the taxi arrives. I’m simply not an organised person. It doesn’t matter how long I give myself to get ready, I will always be last running out the door, frantically going through a mental checklist - phone, purse, mask – I will always forget something.

Standing in the queue for the nightclub, ID and covid cert in hand, the last thing on my mind was the fact that someone could land up and spike me with an injection. Obviously, I’ve heard of people’s drinks being spiked. This can be avoided, we all know that if you leave a drink, you don’t go back to it. If your drink looks foggy, has more bubbles than usual or the ice has sunk, don’t go near it. Stay in your group, look out for each other, don’t leave anybody on their own etc etc. I don’t know about anyone else, but I had this drilled into me before I went out at home. And it stuck, thankfully I’ve never been a victim of drink spiking. In a world where everything is constantly changing and nothing is certain, there is a new craze and that is injection spiking.

The spiking has been taking place across the UK and Ireland since the re-opening of nightclubs. I had seen the reports of it and the images victims had shared on social media, warning others of the phenomenon. The first post I saw was a small bruise on a woman’s body, presumably where the needle had been inserted. This woman later had some sort of seizure and had to be rushed to hospital. Thankfully, she was with her friends who helped her and stayed with her. God only knows what would have happened if she wasn’t.

I saw this post on Facebook, thinking to myself that this was creeping into Ireland. To be quite honest though, I didn’t pass too much remarks on it. It was one of those things you think would never happen to you, or anyone you know. The next morning, I woke up to a snap from one of the girls on my course. It was a picture of somebody’s leg, which was completely black from the knee down with a dark spot about half way where the needle was inserted. The snap read 'My roommate's friend got spiked … what the f**k.'

Shivers literally ran down my spine, it happened in a nightclub popular with students, a regular haunt of my own. It was at this moment that I began to panic. I sent the photo into our group chat, with similar reactions from everyone. What the hell? Why would anybody do that? We were literally there last week. The scariest thing is this could happen to anybody, stone cold sober or twisted drunk. It would probably take a second, a slight pinch and it’s done. You mightn't even notice it.

You would think that, after nearly two years of no nightclubbing, people would just be grateful to be out again. You can go, drink, dance and meet people and just have a good time. In all the shouting that was done about young people being deprived of their social lives, is this the reaction to clubs reopening?

It hasn’t been determined who is carrying out the injection spiking, investigations are ongoing and gardaí are looking into various reports in Dublin and Limerick, as I understand. However, if it’s taking place in nightclubs, then it is more than likely some of the younger generation carrying out the act.

I read an article on An Focal (UL’s student newspaper) asking the question ‘Is there a Stigma Around Being a Student?’ With six third level institutions, Limerick students can sometimes make headlines and not always for good reasons. The general perception is - all we do is throw house parties, break glass, contribute to the housing crisis and in general just cause disturbances.

In Cavan, I wouldn’t say there is a stigma around being a student. Everybody just thinks you head off to relax for the week, living off Mammy and Daddy. In Limerick though you are avoided, people put on their masks around you when you meet them outside, they turn away from you in the shops and county councillors are blue in the face howling about students.

Sometimes I think it isn’t fair, we're not all bad. Some of us just want to learn and enjoy ourselves while doing it. However, with everything that’s going on, can you blame people for being wary around students? It's not nice, but in a way I do understand why the elderly woman crosses the road as you walk towards her. It is a bit of a kick in the teeth, we get what we pined for; the gateway to a good time is open and what happens? Headlines are made about spiking among students.

At least the perpetrators were timely, there is no greater horror than getting spiked with a needle. I hope everyone had a happy Halloween.