Police are investigating a report of spiking by injection at a venue in Aberdeen.
A series of posts have been shared online about cases of spiking by injection in Scottish cities in recent weeks.
A police spokeswoman said: “We are making inquiries into a drug spiking incident, reported to have occurred on Friday, October 15, at a premises in Aberdeen City Centre.
“Our inquiries are at an early stage.”
Student speaks out
Northsound has spoken to the Aberdeen University student who believes she was spiked by injection during a night out in the city centre.
She said: “After a certain time of night, I don’t have any memory or recollection of what happened, the whole night was kind of blacked out. It wasn’t until the next day when I woke up, that my friends told me what had happened.
“The rest of the day after, I couldn’t get out of my bed, I couldn’t stand up without feeling as if I was going to pass out. I kept going from hot to cold, and I had a really, really sore head, it was almost like a really bad hangover.”
The student told Northsound News that she went to A&E to get her bloods checked and is now worried about her long-term health as she does not know where else the needle has been used.
‘Proactive measures’ needed
Aberdeen Central MSP, Kevin Stewart, has written to north-east police to request that urgent action is taken to address the spiking incidents.
He said: “I’ve written to the Superintendent to ask that urgent and proactive measures are taken to protect people in Aberdeen from these abhorrent acts.
“It’s absolutely horrific that women in Aberdeen feel the need to boycott nightclubs because they feel so in danger from these disgusting individuals who spike drinks.
“I think we need to look at a range of options to make women feel safe to prevent men, because let’s face it it usually is men, from spiking women’s drink – we also can’t ignore the grim reality that too often women feel they won’t be taken seriously, we cannot allow that to be the case.
“If you have any information or suspicion about spiking then you must report these to the police as soon as possible and if you think you’ve been spiked then you must seek urgent medical attention.”
Incidents across Scotland
Police confirmed earlier that they are also investigating incidents in Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow, that are not believed to be linked.
Following the reports, an online petition was launched for door searches at nightclubs to become a legal requirement.
An online campaign has also called for a boycott of nighttime venues, with organisers in Aberdeen planning a stay-at-home event for October 28.
A police spokeswoman said: “We are aware of posts circulating on social media about spiking incidents involving injections in Scotland.
“Officers are carrying out inquiries, and a small number of reports from the Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow and Aberdeen areas are being investigated.
“These do not appear to be linked.
“We take all reports seriously and we would encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim of spiking in any form to contact Police via 101.”